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EDWARD LEAR.
F.NfGRAVED BY ANDREW PROM A PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN IN SAN REMO, BY RoNCAROLO,
~ v ;.
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Nonsense Books.
BY
EDWARD LEAR.
I. A Book of Nonsense.
II. Nonsense Songs, Stories, Botany, and Alphabets.
III. More Nonsense Pictures, Rhymes, Botany, etc.
IV. Laughable Lyrics : A Fresh Book of Nonsense
Poems, Songs, Botany, etc.
TOtij all tije ©rtginal Ellustraticmg*
BOSTON
UTTLE, BROWN, ANP COMPANY
1904
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%/$*
Copyright) 1888,
By Roberts Brothers.
i
UNIVERSITY PRESS • JOHN WILSON
AND SON • CAMBRIDGE, U.S. At
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f
PUBLISHERS' NOTICE.
The first "Book of Nonsense" was published in
1846. Three other volumes, — "Nonsense Songs,
Stories, etc.," published in 1871 ; " More Nonsense
Pictures, etc.," in 1872; and "Laughable Lyrics: A
Fresh Book of Nonsense, etc.," in 1877, — comprise
all the " Nonsense Books " written by Mr. Lear.
160456
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'"THE following lines by Mr. Lear were written for a
young lady of his acquaintance, who had quoted to
him the words of a young lady not of his acquaintance,
" How pleasant to know Mr. Lear ! "
" How pleasant to know Mr. Lear ! "
Who has written such volumes of stuff !
Some think him ill-tempered and queer,
But a few think him pleasant enough.
His mind is concrete and fastidious,
His nose is remarkably big ;
His visage is more or less hideous,
His beard it resembles a wig.
He has ears, and two eyes, and ten fingers,
Leastways if you reckon two thumbs ;
Long ago he was one of the singers,
But now he is one of the dumbs.
He sits in a beautiful parlor,
With hundreds of books on the wall ;
He drinks a great deal of Marsala,
But never gets tipsy at all.
He has many friends, lay men and clerical,
Old Foss is the name of his cat ;
His body is perfectly spherical,
He weareth a runcible hat.
When he walks in waterproof white,
The children run after him so !
Calling out, " He 's come out in his night-
Go wn, that crazy old Englishman, oh ! "
He weeps by the side of the ocean,
He weeps on the top of the hill ;
fie purchases pancakes au4 iotioa,
And chocolate shrimps from tjhe mifl.
He reads, but he cannot speak, Spanish,
He cannot abide ginger beer :
Ere the days of his pilgrimage vanish,
How pleasant to know Mr. I^ear J
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INTRODUCTION.
T^DWARD LEAR, the artist, Author of "Journals
-*— ' of a Landscape Painter " in various out-of-the-way
countries, and of the delightful " Books of Nonsense/'
which have amused successive generations of children,
died on Sunday, January 29, 1888, at San Remo, Italy,
where he had lived for twenty years. Few names
could evoke a wider expression of passing regret at
their appearance in the obituary column ; for until his
health began to fail he was known to an immense and
almost a cosmopolitan circle of acquaintance, and pop-
ular wherever he was known. Fewer still could call
ap in the minds of intimate friends a deeper and more
enduring feeling of sorrow for personal loss, mingled
with the pleasantest of memories ; for it was impossible
to know him thoroughly and not to love him. London,
Rome, the Mediterranean countries generally, Ceylon
and India, are still all dotted with survivors among
his generation who will mourn for him affectionately,
although his latter years were spent in compara-
tively close retirement. He was a i#an of striking
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Vlii INTRODUCTION.
nobility of nature, fearless, independent, energetic,
given to forming for himself strong opinions, often has-
tily, sometimes bitterly ; not always strong or sound in
judgment, but always seeking after truth in every mat-
ter, and following it as he understood it in scorn of
consequence; utterly unselfish, devoted to his friends,
generous even to extravagance towards any one who
had ever been connected with his fortunes or his
travels; playful, light-hearted, witty, and humorous,
but not without those occasional fits of black depres-
sion and nervous irritability to which such tempera-
ments are liable.
Great and varied as the merits of his pictures are,
Lear hardly succeeded in achieving any great popu-
larity as a landscape-painter. His work was frequently
done on private commission, and he rarely sent in pic-
tures for the Academy or other exhibitions. His larger
and more highly finished landscapes were unequal in
technical perfection, — sometimes harsh or cold in
color, or stiff in composition; sometimes full of im-
agination, at others literal and prosaic, — but always
impressive reproductions of interesting or peculiar scen-
ery. In later years he used in conversation to qualify
himself as a "topographical artist; " and the defini-
tion was true, though not exhaustive. He had an in-
tuitive and a perfectly trained eye for the character and
beauty of distant mountain lines, the solemnity of rocky
gorges, the majesty of a single mountain rising from
a base of plain or sea; and he was equally exact in
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INTRODUCTION. ix
rendering the true forms of the middle distances and
the specialties of foreground detail belonging to the
various lands through which he had wandered as a
sketcher. Some of his pictures show a mastery which
has rarely been equalled over the difficulties of paint-
ing an immense plain as seen from a height, reaching
straight away from the eye of the spectator until it is
lost in a dim horizon. Sir Roderick Murchison used
to say that he always understood the geological pecu-
liarities of a country he had only studied in Lear's
sketches. The compliment was thoroughly justified;
and it is not every landscape-painter to whom it could
honestly be paid.
The history of Lear's choice of a career was a curious
one. He was the youngest of twenty-one children,
and, through a family mischance, was thrown entirely
on the limited resources of an elderly sister at a very
early age. As a boy he had always dabbled in colors
for his own amusement, and had been given to poring
over the ordinary boys' books upon natural history.
It occurred to him to try to turn his infant talents to
account ; and he painted upon cardboard a couple of
birds in the style which the older among us remember
as having been called Oriental tinting, took them to a
small shop, and sold them for fourpence. The kind-
ness of friends, to whom he was ever grateful, gave
him the opportunity of more serious and more remu-
nerative study, and he became a patient and accurate
zoological draughtsman. Many of the birds in the
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X INTRODUCTION.
earlier volumes of Gould's magnificent folios were
drawn for him by Lear. A few years back there were
eagles alive in the Zoological Gardens in Regent's
Park to which Lear could point as old familiar friends
that he had drawn laboriously from claw to beak fifty
years before. He united with this kind of work the
more unpleasant occupation of drawing the curiosities
of disease or deformity in hospitals. One day, as he
was busily intent on the portrait of a bird in the Zoo-
logical Gardens, an old gentleman came and looked
over his shoulder, entered into conversation, and finally
said to him, " You must come and draw my birds at
Knowsley." Lear did not know where Knowsley was,
or what it meant; but the old gentleman was the
thirteenth Earl of Derby. The successive Earls of
Derby have been among Lear's kindest and most gen-
erous patrons. He went to Knowsley, and the drawings
in the " Knowsley Menagerie " (now a rare and highly-
prized work among book collectors) are by Lear's
hand. At Knowsley he became a permanent favorite ;
and it was there that he composed in prolific succession
his charming and wonderful series of utterly nonsensical
rhymes and drawings. Lear had already begun seri-
ously to study landscape. When English winters be-
gan to threaten his health, Lord Derby started a
subscription which enabled him to go to Rome as a
student and artist, and no doubt gave him recommen-
dations among Anglo-Roman society which laid the
foundations of a numerous clientHe* It was in the
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INTRODUCTION. XI
Roman summers that Lear first began to exercise
the taste for pictorial wandering which grew into a
habit and a passion, to fill vivid and copious note-books
as he went, and to illustrate them by spirited and ac-
curate drawings ; and his first volume of " Illustrated
Excursions in Italy," published in 1846, is gratefully
dedicated to his Knowsley patron.
Only those who have travelled with him could know
what a delightful comrade he was to men whose tastes
ran more or less parallel to his own. It was not every-
body who could travel with him ; for he was so irre-
pressibly anxious not to lose a moment of the time at
his disposal for gathering into his garners the beauty
and interest of the lands over which he journeyed, that
he was careless of comfort and health. Calabria, Sicily,
the Desert of Sinai, Egypt and Nubia, Greece and
Albania, Palestine, Syria, Athos, Candia, Montenegro,
Zag6ri (who knows now where Zag6ri is, or was?),
were as thoroughly explored and sketched by him as
the more civilized localities of Malta, Corsica, and
Corfu. He read insatiably before starting all the rec-
ognized guide-books and histories of the country he
intended to draw; and his published itineraries are
marked by great strength and literary interest quite
irrespectively of the illustrations. And he had
his reward. It is not any ordinary journalist and
sketcher who could have compelled from Tennyson
such a tribute as lines " To E. L. on his Travels in
Greece " : —
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Xli INTRODUCTION
" Illyrian woodlands, echoing falls
Of water, sheets of summer glass,
The long divine Penei'an pass,
The vast Akrokeraunian walls,
" Tomohrit, Athos, all things fair,
With such a pencil, such a pen,
You shadow forth to distant men,
I read and felt that I was there."
Lear was a man to whom, as to Tennyson's Ulysses,
" All experience is an arch wherethrough
Gleams that untravelled world."
After settling at San Remo, and when he was nearly
sixty years old, he determined to visit India and Ceylon.
He started once and failed, being taken so ill at Suez
that he was obliged to return. The next year he suc-
ceeded, and brought away some thousands of drawings
of the most striking views from all three Presidencies
and from the tropical island. His appetite for travel
continued to grow with what it fed upon; and al-
though he hated a long sea-voyage, he used seriously
to contemplate as possible a visit to relations in New
Zealand. It may safely, however, be averred that no
considerations would have tempted him to visit the
Arctic regions.
A hard-working life, checkered by the odd adven-
tures which happen to the odd and the adventurous
and pass over the commonplace; a career brightened
by the high appreciation of unimpeachable critics;
lightened, till of late, by the pleasant society and good
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INTRODUCTION. xiii
wishes of innumerable friends ; saddened by the grow-
ing pressure of ill health and solitude ; cheered by his
constant trust in the love and sympathy of those who
knew him best, however far away, — such was the life
of Edward Lear. — The London Saturday Review,
Feb. 4, 1888.
AMONG the writers who have striven with varying
success during the last thirty or forty years to awaken
the merriment of the " rising generation " of the time
being, Mr. Edward Lear occupies the first place in
seniority, if not in merit. The parent of modern non-
sense-writers, he is distinguished from all his followers
and imitators by the superior consistency with which
he has adhered to his aim, — that of amusing his read-
ers by fantastic absurdities, as void of vulgarity or
cynicism as they are incapable of being made to har-
bor any symbolical meaning. He " never deviates into
sense ; " but those who appreciate him never feel the
need of such deviation. He has a genius for coining
absurd names and words, which, even when they are
suggested by the exigencies of his metre, have a ludi-
crous appropriateness to the matter in hand. His
verse is, with the exception of a certain number
of cockney rhymes, wonderfully flowing and even
melodious — or, as he would say, meloobious — while
to all these qualifications for his task must finally
be added the happy gift of pictorial expression, en-
abling him to double, nay, often to quadruple, the
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XIV
INTRODUCTION.
laughable effect of his text by an inexhaustible pro-
fusion of the quaintest designs. Generally speaking,
these designs are, as it were, an idealization of the
efforts of a clever child ; but now and then — as in the
case of the nonsense-botany — Mr. Lear reminds us
what a genuine and graceful artist he really is. The
advantage to a humorist of being able to illustrate his
own text has been shown in the case of Thackeray and
Mr. W. S. Gilbert, to mention two familiar examples ;
but in no other instance of such a combination have we
discovered such geniality as is to be found in the non-
sense-pictures of Mr. Lear. We have spoken above of
the melodiousness of Mr. Lear's verses, a quality which
renders them excellently suitable for musical setting,
and which has not escaped the notice of the author
himself. We have also heard effective arrangements,
presumably by other composers, of the adventures of
the Table and the Chair, and of the cruise of the Owl
and the Pussy-cat, — the latter introduced into the
" drawing-room entertainment " of one of the followers
of John Parry. Indeed, in these days of adaptations,
it is to be wondered at that no enterprising librettist
has attempted to build a children's comic opera out of
the materials supplied in the four books with which
we are now concerned. The first of these, originally
published in 1846, and brought out in an enlarged form
in 1863, is exclusively devoted to nonsense-verses of one
type. Mr. Lear is careful to disclaim the credit of
having created this type, for he tells us in the preface
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INTRODUCTION. XV
to his third book that " the lines beginning, ' There was
an old man of Tobago/ were suggested to me by a
valued friend, as a form of verse leading itself to limit-
less variety for Rhymes and Pictures. " Dismissing the
further question of the authorship of " There was an
old man of Tobago," we propose to give a few speci-
mens of Mr. Lear's Protean powers as exhibited in the
variation of this simple type. Here, to begin with, is
a favorite verse, which we are very glad to have an
opportunity of giving, as it is often incorrectly quoted,
" cocks " being substituted for " owls " in the third line :
" There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, l It is just as I feared !
Two Owls and a Hen, four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard ! ' "
With the kindly fatalism which is the distinctive note
of the foregoing stanza, the sentiment of our next ex-
tract is in vivid contrast : —
" There was an Old Man in a tree,
Who was terribly bored by a bee ;
When they said, ' Does it buzz ? ' he replied, * Yes, it does !
It *s a regular brute of a Bee.* "
To the foregoing verse an historic interest attaches,
if, that is, we are right in supposing it to have inspired
Mr. Gilbert with his famous " Nonsense-Rhyme in
Blank Verse." We quote from memory : —
" There was an Old Man of St. Bees,
Who was stung in the arm by a wasp.
When they asked, * Does it hurt?' he replied, * No, it does n't,
But I thought all the while 'twas a Hornet ! f "
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XVI INTRODUCTION.
Passing over the lines referring to the " Young Person u
of Crete to whom the epithet " ombliferous " is applied,
we may be pardoned — on the ground of the geograph-
ical proximity of the two countries named — for quot-
ing together two stanzas which in reality are separated
by a good many pages : —
" There was a Young Lady of Norway,
Who casually sat in a doorway ;
When the doors queezed her flat, she exclaimed, ' What of that ? '
This courageous young person of Norway."
" There was a Young Lady of Sweden,
Who went by the slow train to Weedon ;
When they cried, ' Weedon Station ! ' she made no observation,
But thought she should go back to Sweden."
A noticeable feature about this first book, and one
which we think is peculiar to it, is the harsh treat-
ment which the eccentricities of the inhabitants of cer-
tain towns appear to have met with at the hands of
their fellow-residents. No less than three people are
" smashed," — the Old Man of Whitehaven " who
danced a quadrille with a Raven ; " the Old Person of
Buda; and the Old Man with a gong " who bumped at
it all the day long," though in the last-named case we
admit that there was considerable provocation. Before
quitting the first " Nonsense-Book," we would point
out that it contains one or two forms that are inter-
esting; for instance, " scroobious," which we take
to be a Portmanteau word, and " spickle-speckled,"
a favorite form of reduplication with Mr. Lear, and
of which the best specimen occurs in his last boo)
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INTRODUCTION. xvii
" He tinkledy-binkledy-winkled the bell." The sec-
ond book, published in 187 1, shows Mr. Lear in the
maturity of sweet desipience, and will perhaps remain
the favorite volume of the four to grown-up readers.
The nonsense-songs are all good, and "The Story of
the Four little Children who went Round the World "
is the most exquisite piece of imaginative absurdity
that the present writer is acquainted with. But before
coming to that, let us quote a few lines from "The
Jumblies," who, as all the world knows, went to sea in
a sieve : —
'*' They sailed to the Western Sea, they did,
To a land all covered with trees.
And they bought an Owl, and a useful Cart,
And a pound of Rice, and a Cranberry Tart,
And a hive of silvery Bees.
And they bought a Pig, and some green Jack-Daws,
And a lovely Monkey with lollipop paws,
And forty bottles of Ring-Bo-Ree,
And no end of Stilton Cheese.
Far and few, far and few.
Are the lands where the Jumblies live*
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue.
And they went to sea in a sieve.
And in twenty years they all came back,
In twenty years or more,
And every one said, ' How tall they Ve grown !
For they Ve been to the Lakes, and the Torrible Zone,
And the hills of the Chankly Bore.' "
From the pedestrian excursion of the Table and the
Chair, we cannot resist making a brief quotation,
though in this, as in every case, the inability to quote
the drawings also is a sad drawback : —
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XV111 INTRODUCTION.
" So they both went slowly down,
And walked about the town,
With a cheerful bumpy sound,
As they toddled round and round.
And everybody cried,
As they hastened to their side,
1 See, the Table and the Chair
Have come out to take the air ! '
" But in going down an alley
To a castle in a valley,
They completely lost their way,
And wandered all the day,
Till, to see them safely back,
They paid a Ducky-Quack,
And a Beetle and a Mouse,
Who took them to their house.
" Then they whispered to each other,
« O delightful little brother,
What a lovely walk we Ve taken !
Let us dine on Beans and Bacon ! '
So the Ducky and the leetle
Browny-Mousy, and the Beetle
Dined, and danced upon their heads,
Till they toddled to their beds."
" The Story of the Four little Children who went
Round the World" follows next, and the account of
the manner in which they occupied themselves while
on shipboard may be transcribed for the benefit of
those unfortunate persons who have not perused the
original : " During the day-time Violet chiefly occu-
pied herself in putting salt-water into a churn, while
her three brothers churned it violently in the hope
it would turn into butter, which it seldom if ever
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INTRODUCTION. XIX
did." After journeying for a time, they saw some
land at a distance, " and when they came to it they
found it was an island made of water quite sur-
rounded by earth. Besides that it was bordered by
evanescent isthmuses with a great Gulf-Stream run-
ning about all over it, so that it was perfectly beau-
tiful, and contained only a single tree, five hundred
and three feet high." In a later passage, we read
how " by-and-by the children came to a country
where there were no houses, but only an incredibly
innumerable number of large bottles without corks,
and of a dazzling and sweetly susceptible blue color.
Each of these blue bottles contained a bluebottle-
fly, and all these interesting animals live continually
together in the most copious and rural harmony,
nor perhaps in many parts of the world is such
perfect and abject happiness to be found." Our last
quotation from this inimitable recital shall be from
the description of their adventure on a great plain
where they espied an object which " on a nearer
approach and on an accurately cutaneous inspection,
seemed to be somebody in a large white wig sitting on
an arm-chair made of sponge-cake and oyster-shells. "
This turned out to be the " Co-operative Cauliflower,"
who, " while the whole party from the boat was gazing
at him with mingled affection and disgust . . . sud-
denly arose, and in a somewhat plumdomphious man-
ner hurried off towards the setting sun, his steps sup-
ported by two superincumbent confidential cucumbers
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XX INTRODUCTION.
. . . till he finally disappeared on the brink of the west-
ern sky in a crystal cloud of sudorific sand. So remark-
able a sight of course impressed the four children very
deeply; and they returned immediately to their boat
with a strong sense of undeveloped asthma and a great
appetite. "
In his third book, Mr. Lear takes occasion in an
entertaining preface to repudiate the charge of har-
boring any ulterior motive beyond that of " Nonsense
pure and absolute" in any of his verses or pictures,
and tells a delightful anecdote illustrative of the " per-
sistently absurd report " that the Earl of Derby was the
author of the first book of " Nonsense." In this volume
he reverts once more to the familiar form adopted in
his original efforts, and with little falling off. It is to
be remarked that the third division is styled " Twenty-
Six Nonsense Rhymes and Pictures," although there is
no more rhyme than reason in any of the set. , Our
favorite illustrations are those of the " Scroobious
Snake who always wore a Hat on his Head, for fear he
should bite anybody," and the " Visibly Vicious Vul-
ture who wrote some Verses to a Veal-cutlet in a
Volume bound in Vellum." In the fourth and last of
Mr. Lear's books, we meet not only with familiar words,
but personages and places, — old friends like the Jum-
blies, the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo, the Quangle Wangle,
the hills of the Chankly Bore, and the great Gromboo-
lian plain, as well as new creations, such as the Dong
with a luminous Nose, whose story is a sort of non-
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INTRODUCTION. XXI
sense version of the love of Nausicaa for Ulysses, only
that the sexes are inverted. In these verses, graceful
fancy is so subtly interwoven with nonsense as almost
to beguile us into feeling a real interest in Mr. Lear's
absurd creations. So again in the Pelican chorus there
are some charming lines : —
" By day we fish, and at eve we stand
On long bare islands of yellow sand.
And when the sun sinks slowly down,
And the great rock-walls grow dark and brown,
When the purple river rolls fast and dim,
And the ivory Ibis starlike skim,
Wing to wing we dance around," etc.
The other nonsense-poems are all good, but we have
no space for further quotation, and will take leave of
our subject by propounding the following set of exam-
ination questions which a friend who is deeply versed
in Mr. Lear's books has drawn up for us : —
i . What do you gather from a study of Mr. Lear's works to
have been the prevalent characteristics of the inhabitants of
Gretna, Prague, Thermopylae, Wick, and Hong Kong?
2. State briefly what historical events are connected with
Ischia, Chertsey, Whitehaven, Boulak, and Jellibolee.
3. Comment, with illustrations, upon Mr. Lear's use of the
following words : Runcible, propitious, dolomphious, boras-
cible, fizzgiggious, himmeltanious, tumble-dum-down, sponge-
taneous.
4. Enumerate accurately all the animals who lived on the
Quangle Wangle's Hat, and explain how the Quangle Wangle
was enabled at once to enlighten his five travelling compan-
ions as to the true nature of the Co-operative Cauliflower.
5. What were the names of the five daughters of the Old
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XX11 INTRODUCTION.
Person of China, and what was the purpose for which the
Old Man of the Dargle purchased six barrels of Gargle ?
6. Collect notices of King Xerxes in Mr. Lear's works, and
state your theory, if you have any, as to the character and
appearance of Nupiter Piffkin.
7. Draw pictures of the Plum-pudding flea, and the Mopp-
sikon Floppsikon Bear, and state by whom waterproof tubs
were first used.
8. " There was an old man at a station
Who made a promiscuous oration."
What bearing may we assume the foregoing couplet to have
upon Mr. Lear's political views ? — The London Spectator.
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oogle
BOOK OF NONSENSE
By EDWARD LEAR.
WITH ALL THE ORIGINAL PICTURES AND VERSES-
There was an Old Derry down Derry, who loved to see little folks merry;
So he made them a Book, and with laughter they shook
At the fun of that Derry down Derry.
BOSTON
LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY
1904
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©rfgfnal Brtfcatfon.
TO THE
GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN, GRAND-NEPHEWS, AND GRAND-NIECES
OF EDWARD, I3TH EARL OF DERBY,
THIS BOOK OF DRAWINGS AND VERSES
LThe greater part of which were originally made and composed for their parents,)
3% ©e&tcatefc frg tfje ^utijor,
Edward Lear.
London t 1862.
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There was an Old Man with a nose,
Who said, " If you choose to suppose
That my nose is too long, you are certainly wrong ! '
That remarkable Man with a nose.
There was a Young Person of Smyrna,
Whose Grandmother threatened to burn her ;
But she seized on the Cat, and said, " Granny, burn that !
You incongruous Old Woman of Smyrna ! "
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26
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Man on a hill,
Who seldom, if ever, stood still ;
He ran up and down in his Grandmother's gown,
Which adorned that Old Man on a hill.
There was an Old Person of Chili,
Who§e conduct was painful and silly ;
He sate on the stairs, eating apples and pears,
That imprudent Old Person of Chili.
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
27
There was an Old Man with a gong,
Who bumped at it all the day long ;
But they called out, " Oh, law ! you 're a horrid old bore ! "
So they smashed that Old Man with a gong.
There was an Old Man of Kilkenny,
Who never had more than a penny ; #
He spent all that money in onions and honey,
That wayward Old Man of Kilkenny.
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28
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Man of Columbia,
Who was thirsty, and called out for some beer ;
But they brought it quite hot, in a small copper pot,
Which disgusted that man of Columbia.
There was an Old Man in a tree,
Who was horribly bored by a Bee ;
When they said, " Does it buzz? " he replied, " Yes, it does !
It *s a regular brute of a Bee."
w
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
29
There was an Old Lady of Chertsey,
Who made a remarkable curtsey ;
She twirled round and round, till she sank underground,
Which distressed all the people of Chertsey.
There was a Young Lady whose chin
Resembled the point of a pin ;
So she had it made sharp, and purchased a harp,
And played several tunes with her chin.
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30
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Man with a flute, -
A " sarpint " ran into his boot !
But he played day and night, till the
And avoided that Man with a flute.
sarpint " took flight,
There was a Young Lady of Portugal,
Whose ideas were excessively nautical ;
She climbed up a tree to examine the sea,
But declared she would never leave Portugal.
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
31
There was an Old Person of Ischia,
Whose conduct grew friskier and friskier ;
He danced hornpipes and jigs, and ate thousands of |gs,
That lively Old Person of Ischia.
There was an Old Man of Vienna,
Who lived upon Tincture of Senna ;
When that did not agree, he took Camomile Tea,
That nasty Old Man of Vienna.
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$2
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Man in a boat,
Who said, " I 'm afloat ! I 'm afloat ! "
When they said, " No, you ain't ! " he was ready to faint,
That unhappy Old Man in a boat.
There was an Old Person of Buda,
Whose conduct grew Rider and ruder,
Till at last with a hammer they silenced his clamon
By smashing that Person of Buda.
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
33
There was an Old Man of Moldavia,
Who had the most curious behavior ;
For while he was able, he slept on a table,
That funny Old Man of Moldavia.
There was an Old Person of Hurst,
Who drank when he was not athirst ;
When they said, " You '11 grow fatter ! " he answered " What matter? "
t'That globular Person of Hurst.
3
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34
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Man of Madras,
Who rode on a cream-colored Ass ;
But the length of its ears so promoted his fears,
That it killed that Old Man of Madras.
There was an Old Person of Dover,
Who rushed through a field of blue clover ;
But some very large Bees stung his nose and his knees,
So he very soon went back to Dover.
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
35
There was an Old Person of Leeds,
Whose head was infested with beads ;
She sat on a stool and ate gooseberry-fool,
Which agreed with that Person of Leeds.
There was an Old Person of Cadiz,
Who was always polite to all ladies ;
But in handing his daughter, he fell into the water,
Which drowned that Old Person of Cadiz.
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36
A BOOK OF NONSENSE
There was an Old Man of the Isles,
Whose face was pervaded with smiles ;
He sang " High dum diddle," and played on the fiddle,
That amiable Man of the Isles.
There was an Old Person of Basing,
Whose presence of mind was amazing ;
He purchased a steed, which he rode at full speed,
And escaped from the people of Basing.
hi
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
37
^^M
There was an Old Man who supposed
That the street door was partially closed ;
But some very large Rats ate his coats and his hats,
While that futile Old Gentleman dozed.
There was an Old Person whose habits
Induced him to feed upon Rabbits ;
When he 'd eaten eighteen, he turned perfectly green,
Upon which he relinquished those habits.
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38
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Man of the West,
Who wore a pale plum-colored vest ;
When they said, " Does it fit? " he replied, " Not a bit ! '
That uneasy Old Man of the West.
There was an Old Man of Marseilles,
Whose daughters wore bottle-green veils :
They caught several Fish, which they put in a dish,
And sent to t}ieir Pa at Marseilles,
x
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
39
There was an Old Man of the Wrekin,
Whose shoes made a horrible creaking ;
But they said, " Tell us whether your shoes are of leather,
Or of what, you Old Man of the Wrekin? "
There was a Young Lady whose nose
Was so long that it reached to her toes ;
So she hired an Old Lady, whose conduct was steady,
To carry that wonderful nose.
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40
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was a Young Lady of Norway,
Who casually sat in a doorway ;
When the door squeezed her flat, she exclaimed, "What of that?"
This courageous Young Lady of Norway.
There was an Old Man of Apulia,
Whose conduct was very peculiar ;
He fed twenty sons upon nothing but buns,
That whimsical Man of Apulia.
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
41
There was an Old Man of Quebec, —
A beetle ran over his neck ;
But he cried, " With a needle 1 '11 slay you, O beadle ! *
That angry Old Man of Quebec.
There was a Young Lady of Bute,
Who played on a silver-gilt flute ;
She played several jigs to her Uncle's white Pigs :
That amusing Young Lady of Bute.
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42
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Person of Philoe,
Whose conduct was scroobious and wily ;
He rushed up a Palm when the weather was calm,
And observed all the ruins of Philoe.
There was an Old Man with a poker,
Who painted his face with red ochre.
When they said, " You 're a Guy ! " he made no reply,
But knocked them all down with his poker.
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a Boor of nonsense.
43
There was an Old Person of Prague,
Who was suddenly seized with the plague ;
But they gave him some butter, which caused him to mutter,
And cured that Old Person of Prague.
There was an Old Man of Peru,
Who watched his wife making a stew ;
But once, by mistake, in a stove she did bake
That unfortunate Man of Peru.
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Man of the North,
Who fell into a basin of broth ;
But a laudable cook fished him out with a hook,
Which saved that Old Man of the North.
^l^JL.
There was an Old Person of Troy,
Whose drink was warm brandy and soy,
Which he took with a spoon, by the light of the moon,
In sight of the city of Troy.
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
45
There was an Old Person of Mold,
Who shrank from sensations of cold ;
So he purchased some muffs, some furs, and some fluffs,
And wrapped himself well from the cold.
.1
There was an Old Person of Tring,
Who embellished his nose with a ring ;
He gazed at the moon every evening in June,
That ecstatic Old Person of Tring.
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4 6
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Man of Nepaul,
From his horse had a terrible fall ;
But, though split quite in two, with some very strong glue
They mended that man of Nepaul.
There was an Old Man of the Nile,
Who sharpened his n^ils with a file,
Till he cut off his thumbs, and said calmly, " This come?
Of sharpening one's nails with a file ! "
tifk
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
47
There was an Old Man of th' Abruzzi,
So blind that he could n't his foot see ;
When they said, "That 's your toe," he replied, " Is it so? "
That doubtful Old Man of th' Abruzzi.
There was an Old Man of Calcutta,
Who perpetually ate bread and butter ;
Till a great bit of muffin, on which he was stuffing,
Choked that horrid Old Man of Calcutta.
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48
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Person of Rhodes,
Who strongly objected to toads ;
He paid several cousins to catch them by dozens,
That futile Old Person of Rhodes.
There was an Old Man of the South,
Who had an immoderate mouth ;
But in swallowing a dish that was quite full of Fish,
He was choked, that Old Man of the South.
/
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
49
There was an Old Man of Melrose,
Who walked on the tips of his toes ;
But they said, " It ain't pleasant to see you at present,
You stupid Old Man of Melrose."
There was an Old Man of the Dee,
Who was sadly annoyed by a Flea ;
When he said, " I will scratch it ! " they gave him a hatchet,
Which grieved that Old Man of the Dee.
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50
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was a Young Lady of Lucca,
Whose lovers completely forsook her ;
She ran up a tree, and said " Fiddle-de-dee ! "
Which embarrassed the people of Lucca.
There was an Old Man of Coblenz,
The length of whose legs was immense ;
He went with one prance from Turkey to France,
That surprising Old Man of Coblenz.
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
51
There was an Old Man of Bohemia,
Whose daughter was christened Euphemia ;
But one day, to his grief, she married a thief,
Which grieved that Old Man of Bohemia.
There was an Old Man of Corfu,
Who never knew what he should do ;
So he rushed up and down, till the sun made him brown,
That bewildered Old Man of Corfu.
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52
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Man of Vesuvius,
Who studied the works of Vitruvius ;
When the flames burnt his book, to drinking he took,
That morbid Old Man of Vesuvius.
There was an Old Man of Dundee,
Who frequented the top of a tree ;
When disturbed by the Crows, he abruptly arose,
And exclaimed, " I '11 return to Dundee ! "
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
53
There was an Old Lady whose folly
Induced her to sit in a holly ;
Whereon, by a thorn her dress being torn,
She quickly became melancholy.
There was an Old Man on some rocks,
Who shut his Wife up in a box :
When she said, " Let me out," he exclaimed, " Without doubt
You will pass all your life in that box."
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54
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Person of Rheims,
Who was troubled with horrible dreams ;
So to keep him awake they fed him with cake,
Which amused that Old Person of Rheims.
There was an Old Man of Leghorn,
The smallest that ever was born ;
But quickly snapt up he was once by a Puppy,
Who devoured that Old Man of Leghorn.
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
55
There was an Old Man in a pew,
Whose waistcoat was spotted with blue ;
But he tore it in pieces, to give to his Nieces,
That cheerful Old Man in a pew.
There was an Old Man of Jamaica,
Who suddenly married a Quaker ;
But she cried out, " Oh, lack ! I have married a black ! *
Which distressed that Old Man of Jamaica.
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56
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Man who said, " How
Shall I flee from this horrible Cow?
I will sit on this stile, and continue to smile,
Which may soften the heart of that Cow."
There was a Young Lady of Troy,
Whom several large flies did annoy ;
Some she killed with a thump, some she drowned at the pump,
And some she took with her to Troy.
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
57
There was a Young Lady of Hull,
Who was chased by a virulent Bull ;
But she seized on a spade, and called out, "Who's afraid?"
Which distracted that virulent Bull.
There was an Old Person of Dutton,
Whose head was as small as a button ;
So to make it look big he purchased a wig,
And rapidly rushed about Dutton.
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58
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Man who said, " Hush !
I perceive a young bird in this bush ! "
When they said, " Is it small? " he replied, " Not at all ;
It is four times as big as the bush ! "
There was a Young Lady of Russia,
Who screamed so that no one could hush her ;
Her screams were extreme, — no one heard such a scream
As was screamed by that Lady of Russia-
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
59
There was a Young Lady of Tyre,
Who swept the loud chords of a lyre ;
At the sound of each sweep she enraptured the deep,
And enchanted the city of Tyre.
There was an Old Person of Bangor,
Whose face was distorted with anger ;
He tore off his boots, and subsisted on roots,
That borascible Person of Bangor,
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60
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Man of the East,
Who gave all his children a feast ;
But they all ate so much, and their conduct was such,
That it killed that Old Man of the East.
There was an Old Man of the Coast,
Who placidly sat on a post ;
But when it was cold he relinquished his hold,
And called for some hot buttered toast.
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
61
There was an Old Man of Kamschatka,
Who possessed a remarkably fat Cur ;
His gait and his waddle were held as a model
To all the fat dogs in Kamschatka.
There was an Old Person of Gretna,
Who rushed down the crater of Etna ;
When they said, " Is it hot? " he replied, " No, it 's not ! '
That mendacious Old Person of Gretna.
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62
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who sat on a Horse when he reared ;
But they said, " Never mind ! you will fall off behind,
You propitious Old Man with a beard ! "
There was an Old Man of Berlin,
Whose form was uncommonly thin ;
Till he once, by mistake, was mixed up in a cake,
So they baked that Old Man of Berlin.
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
63
There was an Old Man of the West,
Who never could get any rest ;
So they set him to spin on his nose and his chin,
Which cured that Old Man of the West.
There was an Old Person of Cheadle
Was put in the stocks by the Beadle
For stealing some pigs, some coats, and some wigs,
That horrible person of Cheadle.
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64
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Person of Anerley,
Whose conduct was strange and unmannerly ;
He rushed down the Strand with a Pig in each hand,
But returned in the evening to Anerley.
There was a Young Lady of Wales,
Who caught a large Fish without scales ;
When she lifted her hook, she exclaimed, " Only look ! "
That ecstatic Young Lady of Wales.
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
«S
There was a Young Lady of Welling,
Whose praise all the world was a-telling ;
She played on the harp, and caught several Carp,
That accomplished Young Lady of Welling.
fl
There was an Old Person of Tartary,
Who divided his jugular artery ;
But he screeched to his Wife, and she said, " Oh, my life !
Your death will be felt by all Tartary ! "
5
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66
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Man of Whitehaven,
Who danced a quadrille with a Raven ;
But they said, " It 's absurd to encourage this bird ! "
So they smashed that Old Man of Whitehaven.
There was a Young Lady of Sweden,
Who went by the slow train to Weedon ;
When they cried, " Weedon Station ! " she made no observation,
But thought she should go back to Sweden.
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
«7
There was an Old Person of Chester,
Whom several small children did pester ;
They threw some large stones, which broke most of his bones,
And displeased that Old Person of Chester.
There was an Old Man of the Cape,
Who possessed a large Barbary Ape ;
Till the Ape, one dark night, set the house all alight,
Which burned that Old Man of the Cape.
i
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68
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Person of Burton,
Whose answers were rather uncertain ;
When they said, " How d' ye do ? " he replied, " Who are you? "
That distressing Old Person of Burton.
There was an Old Person of Ems
Who casually fell in the Thames ;
And when he was found, they said he was drowned,
That unlucky Old Person of Ems.
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
69
There was a Young Girl of Majorca,
Whose Aunt was a very fast walker ;
She walked seventy miles, and leaped fifteen stiles,
Which astonished that Girl of Majorca.
There was a Young Lady of Poole,
Whose soup was excessively cool ;
So she put it to boil by the aid of some oil,
That ingenious Young Lady of Poole.
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70
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Lady of Prague,
Whose language was horribly vague ;
When they said, "Are these caps?" she answered,
That oracular Lady of Prague.
Perhaps I
There was a Young Lady of Parma,
Whose conduct grew calmer and calmer :
When they said, " Are you dumb? " she merely said, " Hum ! "
That provoking Young Lady of Parma.
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
n
There was an Old Person of Sparta,
Who had twenty-five sons and one " darter ; "
He fed them on Snails, and weighed them in scales,
That wonderful Person of Sparta.
There was an Old Man on whose nose
Most birds of the air could repose ;
But they all flew away at the closing of day,
Which relieved that Old Man and his nose.
i
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72
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was a Young Lady of Turkey,
Who wept when the weather was murky ;
When the day turned out fine, she ceased to repine,
That capricious Young Lady of Turkey.
There was an Old Man of Aosta
Who possessed a large Cow, but he lost her ;
But they said, " Don't you see she has run up a tree,
You invidious Old Man of Aosta? "
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
n
There was a Young Person of Crete,
Whose toilette was far from complete ;
She dressed in a sack spickle-speckled with black,
That ombliferous Person of Crete.
1
There was a Young Lady of Clare,
Who was madly pursued by a Bear ;
When she found she was tired, she abruptly expired,
That unfortunate Lady of Clare.
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74
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was a Young Lady of Dorking,
Who bought a large bonnet for walking ;
But its color and size so bedazzled her eyes,
That she very soon went back to Dorking.
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE
75
There was an Old Man of Cape Horn,
Who wished he had never been born ;
So he sat on a Chair till he died of despair,
That dolorous Man of Cape Horn.
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7 6
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an old Person of Cromer,
Who stood on one leg to read Homer ;
When hejound he grew stiff, he jumped over the cliff,
Which concluded that Person of Cromer.
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
;;
There was an Old Man of the Hague,
Whose ideas were excessively vague ;
He built a balloon to examine the moon,
That deluded Old Man of the Hague.
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76
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Person of Spain,
Who hated all trouble and pain ;
So he sate on a chair with his feet in the air,
That umbrageous Old Person of Spain.
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
79
There was an Old Man who said, " Well !
Will nobody answer this bell?
I have pulled day and night, till my hair has grown white,
But nobody answers this bell ! "
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8o
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Man with an Owl,
Who continued to bother and howl ;
He sat on a rail, and imbibed bitter ale,
Which refreshed that Old Man and his Owl.
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
81
There was an Old Man in a casement,
Who held up his hands in amazement ;
When they said, " Sir, you '11 fall ! " he replied, " Not at all ! "
That incipient Old Man in a casement.
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82
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Person of Ewell,
Who chiefly subsisted on gruel ;
But to make it more nice, he inserted some Mice,
Which refreshed that Old Person of Ewell.
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
83
There was an Old Man of Peru.
Who never knew what he should do ;
So he tore off his hair, and behaved like a bear,
That intrinsic Old Man of Peru.
i
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8 4
A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, " It is just as I feared ! —
Two Owls and a Hen, four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard/ '
There was a Young Lady whose eyes
Were unique as to color and size ;
When she opened them wide, people all turned aside,
And started away in surprise.
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A BOOK OF NONSENSE.
85
There was a Young Lady of Ryde,
Whose shoe-strings were seldom untied ;
She purchased some clogs, and some small spotty Dogs,
And frequently walked about Ryde.
There was a Young Lady whose bonnet
Came untied when the birds sate upon it ;
But she said, " I don't care ! all the birds in the air
Are welcome to sit on rav bonnet ! "
1
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NONSENSE SONGS.
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Nonsense Songs,
^tortek iBotany, ami ait>£<tbm>
By EDWARD LEAR.
WITH ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY ILLUSTRATIONS.
1
BOSTON
LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY
1904
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CONTENTS.
i
NONSENSE SONGS. Page
The Owl and the Pussy-Cat 7
The Duck and the Kangaroo 10
The Daddy Long-legs and the Fly 14
The Jumblies 18
The Nutcrackers and the Sugar-tongs 22
Calico Pie 25
Mr. and Mrs. Spikky Sparrow 28
The Broom, the Shovel, the Poker, and the Tongs . 32
The Table and the Chair 35
NONSENSE STORIES.
The Story of the Four Little Children who went
round the world 41
The History of the Seven Families of the Lake
Pipple-Popple 58
NONSENSE COOKERY 77
NOi^ENSE BOTANY 83
NONSENSE ALPHABET, No. 1 95
14 " No. 2 117
w " No. 3 , 139
1 \
\
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NONSENSE SONGS.
THE OWL AND THE PUSSY-CAT.
T^HE Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat :
They took some honey, and plenty of money
Wrapped up in a five-pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
"O lovely Pussy, O Pussy, my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are,
You are !
What a beautiful Pussy you are ! "
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THE OWL AND THE PUSSY-CAT.
II.
Pussy said to the Owl, " You elegant fowl,
How charmingly sweet you sing !
Oh ! let us be married ; too long we have tarried :
But what shall we do for a ring?"
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the bong-tree grows;
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood,
With a ring at the end of his nose,
His nose,
His nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.
III.
" 4 Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
Your ring?" Said the Piggy, "I will."
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
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THE OWL AND THE PUSSY-CAT.
They dined on mince and slices of quince.
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand.
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.
i
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THE DUCK AND THE KANGAROO.
i.
O AID the Duck to the Kangaroo,
" Good gracious ! how you hop
Over the fields, and the water too,
As if you never would stop !
My life is a bore in this nasty pond ;
And I long to go out in the world beyond :
I wish I could hop like you,"
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.
II.
u Please give me a ride on your back,"
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo :
" I would sit quite still, and say nothing but c Quack *
The whole of the long day through ;
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THE DUCK AND THE KANGAROO.
And we 'd go the Dee, and the Jelly Bo Lee,
Over the land, and over the sea :
Please take me a ride ! oh, do ! "
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.
II
l
III.
Said the Kangaroo to the Duck,
" This requires some little reflection.
Perhaps, on the whole, it might bring me luck :
And there seems but one objection ;
Which is, if you '11 let me speak so bold,
Your feet are unpleasantly wet and cold,
And would probably give me the roo-
Matiz," said the Kangaroo.
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12
THE DUCK AND THE KANGAROO.
IV.
Said the Duck, " As I sate on the rocks,
I have thought over that completely ;
And I bought four pairs of worsted socks,
Which fit my web-feet neatly ;
And, to keep out the cold, I Ve bought a cloak ;
And every day a cigar I '11 smoke ;
All to follow my own dear true
Love of a Kangaroo.' '
V.
Said the Kangaroo, " I 'm ready,
All in the moonlight pale ;
But to balance me well, dear Duck, sit steady.
And quite at the end of my tail."
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THE DUCK AND THE KANGAROO.
So away they went with a hop and a bound ;
And they hopped the whole world three times round.
And who so happy, oh ! who,
As the Duck and the Kangaroo?
13
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THE DADDY LONG-LEGS AND THE FLY.
/^VNCE Mr. Daddy Long-legs,
Dressed in brown and gray,
Walked about upon the sands
Upon a summers day :
And there among the pebbles,
When the wind was rather cold,
He met with Mr. Floppy Fly,
All dressed in blue and gold ;
And, as it was too soon to dine,
They drank some periwinkle-wine,
And played an hour or two, or more,
At battlecock and shuttkdore.
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THE DADDY LONG-LEGS AND THE FLY. 15
II.
Said Mr. Daddy Long-legs
To Mr. Floppy Fly,
" Why do you never come to court ?
I wish you 'd tell me why.
All gold and shine, in dress so fine,
You 'd quite delight the court.
Why do you never go at all ?
I really think you ought.
And, if you went, you 'd see such sights !
Such rugs and jugs and candle-lights !
And, more than all, the king and queen, —
One in red, and one in green."
III.
" O Mr. Daddy Long-legs ! "
Said Mr. Floppy Fly,
" It 's true I never go to court ;
And I will tell you why.
If I had six long legs like yours,
At once I 'd go to court ;
But, oh ! I can't, because my legs
Are so extremely short.
And I 'm afraid the king and queen
(One in red, and one in green)
Would say aloud, ' You are not fit,
You Fly, to come to court a bit ! '
IV.
" Oh, Mr. Daddy Long-legs ! "
Said Mr. Floppy Fly,
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l6 THE DADDY LONG-LEGS AND THE FLY.
" I wish you 'd sing one little song,
One mumbian melody.
You used to sing so awful well
In former days gone by ;
But now you never sing at all :
I wish you 'd tell me why :
For, if you would, the silvery sound
Would please the shrimps and cockles round,
And all the crabs would gladly come
To hear you sing, 'Ah, Hum di Hum 1' "
V.
Said Mr. Daddy Long-legs,
" I can never sing again ;
And, if you wish, I '11 tell you why,
Although it gives me pain.
For years I cannot hum a bit,
Or sing the smallest song ;
And this the dreadful reason is, —
My legs are grown too long !
My six long legs, all here and there,
Oppress my bosom with despair ;
And, if I stand or lie or sit,
I cannot sing one single bit ! "
VI.
So Mr. Daddy Long-legs
And Mr. Floppy Fly
Sat down in silence by the sea,
And gazed upon the sky.
They said, " This is a dreadful thing 1
The world has all gone wrong,
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THE DADDY LONG-LEGS AND THE FLY.
Since one has legs too short by half,
The other much too long.
One never more can go to court,
Because his legs have grown too short ;
The other cannot sing a song,
Because his legs have grown too long ! "
VII.
Then Mr. Daddy Long-legs
And Mr. Floppy Fly
Rushed downward to the foamy sea
With one sponge-taneous cry :
And there they found a little boat,
Whose sails were pink and gray ]
And off they sailed among the waves,
Far and far away :
They sailed across the silent main,
And reached the great Gromboolian Plain ;
And there they play forevermore
At battlecock and shuttledore.
17
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THE JUMBLIES.
HPHEY went to sea in a sieve, they did;
In a sieve they went to sea:
In spite of all their friends could say,
On a winter's morn, on a stormy day,
In a sieve they went to sea.
And when the sieve turned round and round,
And every one cried, " You '11 all be drowned ! '
They called aloud, " Our sieve ain't big ;
But we don't care a button, we don't care a fig:
In a sieve we '11 go to sea ! "
Far and few, far and few,
Are the lands where the Jumblies live :
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue
And they went to sea in a sieve.
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THE JUMBLIES. 19
II.
They sailed away in a sieve, they did,
In a sieve they sailed so fast,
With only a beautiful pea-green veil
Tied with a ribbon, by way of a sail,
To a small tobacco-pipe mast.
And every one said who saw them go,
"Oh! won't they be soon upset, you know?
For the sky is dark, and the voyage is long;
And, happen what may, it 's extremely wrong
In a sieve to sail so fast."
Far and few, far and few,
Are the lands where the Jumblies live :
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue ;
And they went to sea in a sieve.
III.
The water it soon came in, it did;
The water it soon came in :
So, to keep them dry, they wrapped their feet
In a pinky paper all folded neat;
And they fastened it down with a pin.
And they passed the night in a crockery-jar;
And each of them said, " How wise we are !
Though the sky be dark, and the voyage^be long,
Yet we never can think we were rash or wrong,
While round in our sieve we spin."
Far and few, far and few,
Are the lands where the Jumblies live :
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue;
And they went to sea in a sieve.
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20 THE JUMBLIES.
IV.
And all night long they sailed away;
And when the sun went down,
They whistled and warbled a moony song
To the echoing sound of a coppery gong,
In the shade of the mountains brown.
" O Timballoo ! How happy we are
When we live in a sieve and a crockery-jar !
And all night long, in the moonlight pale,
We sail away with a pea-green sail
In the shade of the mountains brown."
Far and few, far and few,
Are the lands where the Jumblies live :
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue ;
And they went to sea in a sieve.
V.
They sailed to the Western Sea, they did, —
To a land all covered with trees :
And they bought an owl, and a useful cart,
And a pound of rice, and a cranberry-tart,
And a hive of silvery bees ;
And they bought a pig, and some green jackdaws,
And a lovely monkey with lollipop paws,
And forty bottles of ring-bo-ree,
And no end of Stilton cheese.
Far and few, far and few,
Are the lands where the Jumblies live :
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue ;
And they went to sea in a sieve.
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THE JUMBLIES, 21
VI.
And in twenty years they all came back, —
In twenty years or more ;
And every one said, " How tall they Ve grown !
For they've been to the Lakes, and the Torrible Zone,
And the hills of the Chankly Bore."
And they drank their health, and gave them a least
Of dumplings made of beautiful yeast ;
And every one said, " If we only live,
We, too, will go to sea in a sieve,
To the hills of the Chankly Bore."
Far and few, far and few,
Are the lands where the Jumblies live :
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue r
And they went to sea in a sieve.
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THE NUTCRACKERS AND THE SUGAR-TONGS.
HPHE Nutcrackers sate by a plate on the table;
The Sugar-tongs sate by a plate at his side;
And the Nutcrackers said, "Don't you wish we were able
Along the blue hills and green meadows to ride?
Must we drag on this stupid existence forever,
So idle and weary, so full of remorse,
While every one else takes his pleasure, and never
Seems happy unless he is riding a horse?
II.
" Don't you think we could ride without being instructed,
Without any saddle or bridle or spur?
Our legs are so long, and so aptly constructed,
I'm sure that an accident could not occur.
Let us all of a sudden hop down from the table,
And hustle downstairs, and each jump on a horse !
Shall we try? Shall we go? Do you think we are able? M
The Sugar-tongs answered distinctly, " Of course 1 "
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THE NUTCRACKERS AND THE SUGAR-TONGS. 2%
III.
So down the long staircase they hopped in a minute ;
The Sugar-tongs snapped, and the Crackers said " Crack ! "
The stable was open ; the horses were in it :
Each took out a pony, and jumped on his back.
The Cat in a fright scrambled out of the doorway ;
The Mice tumbled out of a bundle of hay ;
The brown and white Rats, and the black ones from Norway,
Screamed out, " They are taking the horses away ! "
IV.
The whole of the household was filled with amazement :
The Cups and the Saucers danced madly about ;
The Plates and the Dishes looked out of the casement ;
The Salt-cellar stood on his head with a shout ;
The Spoons, with a clatter, looked out of the lattice ;
The Mustard-pot climbed up the gooseberry-pies ;
The Soup-ladle peeped through a heap of veal-patties,
And squeaked with a ladle-like scream of surprise.
V.
The Frying-pan said, " It 's an awful delusion ! "
The Tea-kettle hissed, and grew black in the face ;
And they all rushed downstairs in the wildest confusion
To see the great Nutcracker-Sugar-tong race.
And out of the stable, with screamings and laughter
(Their ponies were cream-colored, speckled with brown),
The Nutcrackers first, and the Sugar-tongs after,
Rode all round the yard, and then all round the town.
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24 THE NUTCRACKERS AND THE SUGAR-TONGS.
VI.
They rode through the street, and they rode by the station ;
They galloped away to the beautiful shore ;
In silence they rode, and " made no observation,"
Save this : " We will never go back any more ! "
And still you might hear, till they rode out of hearing,
The Sugar-tongs snap, and the Crackers say " Crack ! "
Till, far in the distance their forms disappearing,
They faded away ; and they never came back 1
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CALICO PIE.
/^ALICO pie,
The little birds fly
Down to the calico-tree :
Their wings were blue, s
And they sang " Tilly-loo ! " yl
Till away they flew ; f\+
And they never came back to me ! -*
They never came back, *^5»
They never came back, ^£
They never came back to me ! «»
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26
CALICO PIE.
II.
Calico jam,
The little Fish swam
Over the Syllabub Sea.
He took off his hat
To the Sole and the Sprat,
And the Willeby-wat :
But he never came back to me )
He never came back,
He never came back,
He never came back to me.
III.
Calico ban,
The little Mice ran
To be ready in time for tea ;
Flippity flup,
They drank it all up,
And danced in the cup :
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CALICO PIE.
But they never came back to me ;
They never came back,
They never came back,
They never came back to me.
27
IV.
Calico drum,
The Grasshoppers come,
The Butterfly, Beetle, and Bee,
Over the ground,
Around and round,
With a hop and a bound ;
But they never came back,
They never came back,
They never came back,
They never came back to me.
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MR. AND MRS. SPIKKY SPARROW.
/^\N a little piece of wood
Mr. Spikky Sparrow stood :
Mrs. Sparrow sate close by,
A-making of an insect-pie
For her little children five,
In the nest and all alive ;
Singing with a cheerful smile,
To amuse them all the while,
" Twikky wikky wikky wee,
Wikky bikky twikky tee,
Spikky bikky bee ! "
II.
Mrs. Spikky Sparrow said,
" Spikky, darling ! in my head
Many thoughts of trouble come,
Like to flies upon a plum.
All last night, among the trees,
I heard you cough, I heard you sneeze J
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MR. AND MRS. SPIKKY SPARROW. 29
And thought I, ' It 's come to that
Because he does not wear a hat ! '
Chippy wippy sikky tee,
Bikky wikky tikky mee,
Spikky chippy wee !
III.
" Not that you are growing old ;
But the nights are growing cold.
No one stays out all night long
Without a hat : I 'm sure it 's wrong ! "
Mr. Spikky said, " How kind,
Dear, you are, to speak your mind !
All your life I wish you luck !
You are, you are, a lovely duck !
Witchy witchy witchy wee,
Twitchy witchy witchy bee,
Tikky tikky tee !
IV.
i( I was also sad, and thinking,
When one day I saw you winking,
And I heard you sniffle-snuffle,
And I saw your feathers ruffle :
To myself I sadly said,
i She 's neuralgia in her head !
That dear head has nothing on it !
Ought she not to wear a bonnet? '
Witchy kitchy kitchy wee,
Spikky wikky mikky bee,
Chippy wippy chee !
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30 MR. AND MRS. SPIKKY SPARROW.
V.
" Let us both fly up to town :
There I '11 buy you such a gown !
Which, completely in the fashion,
You shall tie a sky-blue sash on ;
And a pair of slippers neat
To fit your darling little feet,
So that you will look and feel
Quite galloobious and genteel.
Jikky wikky bikky see,
Chicky bikky wikky bee,
Twicky witchy wee ! "
VI.
So they both to London went,
Alighting on the Monument ;
Whence they flew down swiftly — pop !
Into Moses' wholesale shop :
There they bought a hat and bonnet,
And a gown with spots upon it,
A satin sash of Cloxam blue,
And a pair of slippers too.
Zikky wikky mikky bee,
Witchy witchy mitchy kee,
Sikky tikky wee !
VII.
Then, when so completely dressed,
Back they flew, and reached their nest.
Their children cried, " O ma and pa !
How truly beautiful you are I "
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MR. AND MRS. SPIKKY SPARROW.
Said they, " We trust that cold or pain
We shall never feel again ;
While, perched on tree or house or steeple,
We now shall look like other people.
Witchy witchy witchy wee,
Twikky mikky bikky bee,
Zikky sikky tee ! "
31
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THE BROOM, THE SHOVEL, THE POKER, AND
THE TONGS.
:>om and the Shovel, the Poker and Tongs,
all took a drive in the Park ;
And they each sang a song, ding-a-dong, ding-a-dong !
Before they went back in the dark.
Mr. Poker he sate quite upright in the coach ;
Mr. Tongs made a clatter and clash ;
Miss Shovel was dressed all in black (with a brooch) ;
Mrs. Broom was in blue (with a sash) .
Ding-a-dong, ding-a-dong !
And they all sang a song.
II.
" O Shovely so lovely ! " the Poker he sang,
" You have perfectly conquered my heart.
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THE BROOM, SHOVEL, POKER, AND TONGS. 33
Ding-a-dong, ding-a-dong ! If you 're pleased with my song,
I will feed you with cold apple- tart.
When you scrape up the coals with a delicate sound,
You enrapture my life with delight,
Your nose is so shiny, your head is so round,
And your shape is so slender and bright !
Ding-a-dong, ding-a-dong !
Ain't you pleased with my song? "
III.
u Alas ! Mrs. Broom," sighed the Tongs in his song,
" Oh ! is it because I 'm so thin,
And my legs are so long, — ding-a-dong, ding-a-dong ! —
That you don't care about me a pin ?
Ah ! fairest of creatures, when sweeping the room,
Ah ! why don't you heed my complaint ?
Must you needs be so cruel, you beautiful Broom,
Because you are covered with paint?
Ding-a-dong, ding-a-dong !
You are certainly wrong."
IV.
Mrs. Broom and Miss Shovel together they sang,
" What nonsense you 're singing to-day ! "
Said the Shovel, " I '11 certainly hit you a bang ! "
Said the Broom, " And I '11 sweep you away ! "
So the coachman drove homeward as fast as he could,
Perceiving their anger with pain ;
3
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34 THE BROOM, SHOVEL, POKER, AND TONGS.
But they put on the kettle, and little by little
They all became happy again.
Ding-a-dong, ding-a-dong !
There 's an end of my song.
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THE TABLE AND THE CHAIR.
AID the Table to the Chair,
" You can hardly be aware
How I suffer from the heat
And from chilblains on my feet.
If we took a little walk,
We might have a little talk ;
Pray let us take the air,"
Said the Table to the Chair.
II.
Said the Chair unto the Table,
" Now, you know we are not able :
How foolishly you talk,
When you know we cannot walk ! "
Said the Table with a sigh,
" It can do no harm to try.
1 've as many legs as you :
Why can't we walk on two ? "
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36 THE TABLE AND THE CHAIR,
III.
So they both went slowly down,
And walked about the town
With a cheerful bumpy sound
As they toddled round and round *
And everybody cried,
As they hastened to their side,
" See ! the Table and the Chair
Have come out to take the air ! "
IV.
But in going down an alley,
To a castle in a valley,
They completely lost their way,
And wandered all the day ;
Till, to see them safely back,
They paid a Ducky-quack,
And a Beetle, and a Mouse,
Who took them to their house.
U£3
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THE TABLE AND THE CHAIR.
$7
V.
Then they whispered to each other,
" delightful little brother,
What a lovely walk we Ve taken !
Let us dine on beans and bacon."
So the Ducky and the leetle
Browny-Mousy and the Beetle
Dined, and danced upon their heads
Till they toddled to their beds.
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NONSENSE STORIES.
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NONSENSE STORIES.
THE STORY OF THE FOUR LITTLE CHILDREN
WHO WENT ROUND THE WORLD.
O
NCE upon a time, a long while ago, there were four little
people whose names were
VIOLET,
SLINGSBY,
GUY,
and Lionel;
and they all thought they should like to see the world. So they
bought a large boat to sail quite round the world by sea, and then
they were to come back on the other side by land. The boat was
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42
THE FOUR LITTLE CHILDREN.
painted blue with green spots, and the sail was yellow with re'
stripes : and, when they set off, they only took a small Cat to ste r
and look after the boat, besides an elderly Quangle-Wangle, wl
had to cook the dinner and make the tea ; for which purposes tht y
took a large kettle.
For the first ten days they sailed on beautifully, and found plenty
to eat, as there were lots of fish ; and they had only to take them
out of the sea with a long spoon, when the Quangle-Wangle in-
stantly cooked them; and the Pussy-Cat was fed with the bones,
with which she expressed herself pleased, on the whole : so that all
the party were very happy.
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THE FOUR LITTLE CHILDREN.
43
During the daytime, Violet chiefly occupied herself in putting
salt water into a churn ; while her three brothers churned it vio-
lently, in the hope that it would turn into butter, which it seldom
if ever did ; and in the evening they all retired into the tea-kettle,
where they all managed to sleep very comfortably, while .Pussy and
the Quangle- Wangle managed the boat.
After a time, they saw some land at a distance ; and, when they
came to it, they found it was an island made of water quite sur-
rounded by earth. Besides that, it was bordered by evanescent
isthmuses, with a great gulf-stream running about all over it; so
that it was perfectly beautiful, and contained only a single tree,
503 feet high.
When they had landed, they walked about, but found, to their
great surprise, that the island was quite full of veal-cutlets and
chocolate-drops, and nothing else. So they all climbed up the
single high tree to discover, if possible, if there were any people ;
but having remained on the top of the tree for a week, and not
seeing anybody, they naturally concluded that there were no in-
habitants; and accordingly, when they came down, they loaded
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44
THE FOU& LITTLE CHILDREN.
the boat with two thousand veal-
cutlets and a million of choco-
late-drops ; and these afforded
them sustenance for more than
a month, during which time
they pursued their voyage with
the utmost delight and apathy.
After this they came to a
shore where there were no less than sixty-
five great red parrots with blue tails, sitting
on a rail all of a row, and all fast asleep.
And I am sorry to say that the Pussy-Cat
and the Qu angle-Wangle crept softly, and
bit off the tail-feathers of all the sixty-five
parrots; for which Violet reproved them
both severely.
Notwithstanding which, she proceeded
to insert all the feathers — two hundred
and sixty in number — in her bonnet ;
thereby causing it to have a lovely and
glittering appearance, highly prepossessing
and efficacious.
The next thing that happened to them
was in a narrow part of the sea, which was
so entirely full of fishes that the boat could
go on no farther : so they remained there
about six weeks, till they had eaten nearly
all the fishes, which were soles, and all
ready-cooked, and covered with shrimp-
sauce, so that there was no trouble what-
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THE FOUR LITTLE CHILDREN.
45
ever. And as the few fishes who remained uneaten complained of
the cold, as well as of the difficulty they had in getting any sleep on
account of the extreme noise made by the arctic bears and the tropi-
cal turnspits, which frequented the neighborhood in great numbers,
Violet most amiably knitted a small woollen frock for several of
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4 6
THE FOUR LITTLE CHILDREN.
the fishes, and Slingsby administered some opium-drops to them ;
through which kindness they became quite warm, and slept soundly.
Then they came to a country which was wholly covered with
immense orange-trees of a vast size, and quite full of fruit. So they
all landed, taking with them the tea-kettle, intending to gather some
of the oranges, and place them in it. But, while they were busy
about this, a most dreadfully high wind rose, and blew out most of
the parrot-tail feathers from Violet's bonnet. That, however, was
nothing compared with the calamity of the oranges falling down on
their heads by millions and millions, which thumped and bumped
• o
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THE FOUR LITTLE CHILDREN.
47
and bumped and thumped them all so seriously, that they were
obliged to run as hard as they could for their lives ; besides that
the sound of the oranges rattling on the tea-kettle was of the most
fearful and amazing nature.
Nevertheless, they got safely to the boat, although considerably
vexed and hurt; and the Quangle-Wangle's right foot was so
knocked about, that he had to sit with his head in his slipper for
at least a week.
This event made them all for a time rather melancholy : and per-
haps they might never have become less so, had not Lionel, with a
most praiseworthy devotion and perseverance, continued to stand
on one leg, and whistle to them in a loud and lively manner ; which
diverted the whole party so ex-
tremely that they gradually re-
covered their spirits, and agreed
that whenever they should reach
home, they would subscribe to-
wards a testimonial to Lionel, en-
tirely made of gingerbread and
raspberries, as an earnest token of
their sincere and grateful infection.
After sailing on calmly for
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48
THE FOUR LITTLE CHILDREN.
several more days, they came to another country, where they were
much pleased and surprised to see a countless multitude of white
Mice with red eyes, all sitting in a great circle, slowly eating custard -
pudding with the most satisfactory and polite demeanor.
*m?OT^^
And as the four travellers were rather hungry, being tired of eat-
ing nothing but soles and oranges for so long a period, they held
a council as to the propriety of asking the Mice for some of their
pudding in a humble and affecting manner, by which they could
hardly be otherwise than gratified. It was agreed, therefore, that
Guy should go and ask the Mice, which he immediately did ; and
the result was, that they gave a walnut-shell only half full of custard
diluted with water. Now, this displeased Guy, who said, " Out of
such a lot of pudding as you have got, I must say, you might have
spared a somewhat larger quantity." But no sooner had he finished
speaking than the Mice turned round at once, and sneezed at him
in an appalling and vindictive manner (and it is impossible to inv
agine a more scroobious and unpleasant sound than that caused by
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THE FOUR LITTLE CHILDREN.
49
the simultaneous sneezing of many millions of angry Mice) ; so that
Guy rushed back to the boat, having first shied his cap into the
middle of the custard-pudding, by which means he completely
spoiled the Mice's dinner.
By and by the four children came to a country where there were
no houses, but only an incredibly innumerable number of large
bottles without corks, and of a dazzling and sweetly susceptible blue
color. Each of these blue bottles contained a Blue-Bottle-Fly ; and
all these interesting animals live continually together in the most
copious and rural harmony : nor perhaps in many parts of the world
is such perfect and abject happiness to be found. Violet and
Slingsby and Guy and Lionel were greatly struck with this singular
and instructive settlement ; and, having previously asked permission
of the Blue-Bottle-Flies (which was most courteously granted), the
boat was drawn up to the shore, and they proceeded to make tea in
j ^.*«*»
front of the bottles : but as they had no tea-leaves, they merely
placed some pebbles in the hot water; and the Quangle-Wangle
played some tunes over it on an accordion, by which, of course, tea
was made directly, and of the very best quality.
The four children then entered into conversation with the Blue-
Bottle- Flies, who discoursed in a placid and genteel manner, though
4
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50 THE FOUR LITTLE CHILDREN.
.with a slightly buzzing accent, chiefly owing to the fact that they
each held a small clothes-brush between their teeth, which naturally
occasioned a fizzy, extraneous utterance.
" Why," said Violet, " would you kindly inform us, do you reside
in bottles ; and, if in bottles at all, why not, rather, in green or pur-
ple, or, indeed, in yellow bottles? "
To which questions a very aged Blue-Bottle-Fly answered, "We
found the bottles here all ready to live in ; that is to say, our great-
great-great-great-great-grandfathers did : so we occupied them at
once. And, when the winter comes on, we turn the bottles upside
down, and consequently rarely feel the cold at all ; and you know
very well that this could not be the case with bottles of any other
color than blue. ,,
"Of course it could not," said Slingsby. "But, if we may take
the liberty of inquiring, on what do you chiefly subsist ? "
"Mainly on oyster-patties," said the Blue-Bottle-Fly; "and,
when these are scarce, on raspberry vinegar and Russian leather
boiled down to a jelly."
" How delicious ! " said Guy.
To which Lionel added, " Huzz ! " And all the Blue-Bottle-
Flies said, " Buzz ! "
At this time, an elderly Fly said it was the nour for the evening-
song to be sung ; and, on a signal being given, all the Blue-Bottle-
Flies began to buzz at once in a sumptuous and sonorous manner,
the melodious and mucilaginous sounds echoing all over the waters,
and resounding across the tumultuous tops of the transitory titmice
upon the intervening and verdant mountains with a serene and
sickly suavity only known to the truly virtuous. The Moon was
shining slobaciously from the star-bespangled sky, while her light
irrigated the smooth and shiny sides and wings and backs of the
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51
Blue-Bottle-Flies with a peculiar and trivial splendor, while all
Nature cheerfully responded to the cerulean and conspicuous
circumstances.
In many long-after years, the four little travellers looked back to
that evening as one of the happiest in all their lives ; and it was
already past midnight when — the sail of the boat having been set
up by the Quangle-Wangle, the tea-kettle and churn placed in their
respective positions, and the Pussy-Cat stationed at the helm — the
children each took a last and affectionate farewell of the Blue- Bottle-
Flies, who walked down in a body to the water's edge to see the
travellers embark.
As a token of parting respect and esteem, Violet made a courtesy
quite down to the ground, and stuck one of her few remaining
parrot-tail feathers into the back hair of the most pleasing of the
Blue-Bottle-Flies ; while Slingsby, Guy, and Lionel offered them
three small boxes, containing, respectively, black pins, dried figs,
and Epsom salts ; and thus they left that happy shore forever.
Overcome by their feelings, the four little travellers instantly
jumped into the tea-kettle, and fell fast asleep. But all along
0kJ k
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52 THE FOUR LITTLE CHILDREN.
the shore, for many hours, there was distinctly heard a sound of
severely-suppressed sobs, and of a vague multitude of living crea-
tures using their pocket-handkerchiefs in a subdued simultaneous
snuffle, lingering sadly along the walloping waves as the boat sailed
farther and farther away from the Land of the Happy Blue-Bottle-
Flies.
Nothing particular occurred for some days after these events,
except that, as the travellers were passing a low tract of sand, they
perceived an unusual and gratifying spectacle; namely, a large
number of Crabs and Crawfish — perhaps six or seven hundred —
sitting by the water-side, and endeavoring to disentangle a vast
heap of pale pink worsted, which they moistened at intervals with
a fluid composed of lavender-water and white-wine negus.
"Can we be of any service to you, O crusty Crabbies?" said the
four children.
"Thank you kindly," said the Crabs consecutively. "We are
trying to make some worsted mittens, but do not know how."
On which Violet, who was perfectly acquainted with the art of
mitten-making, said to the Crabs, " Do your claws unscrew, or are
they fixtures ? "
" They are all made to unscrew," said the Crabs ; and forthwith
they deposited a great pile of claws close to the boat, with which
Violet uncombed all the pale pink worsted, and then made the love-
liest mittens with it you can imagine. These the Crabs, having
resumed and screwed on their claws, placed cheerfully upon their
wrists, and walked away rapidly on their hind-legs, warbling songs
with a silvery voice and in a minor key.
""*" After this, the four little people sailed on again till they came to
X vast and wide plain of astonishing dimensions, on which nothing
whatever could be discovered at first ) but, as the travellers walked
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THE FOUR LITTLE CHILDREN. 53
onward, there appeared in the extreme and dim distance a single
object, which on a nearer approach, and on an accurately cutaneous
inspection, seemed to be somebody in a large white wig, sitting on
an arm-chair made of sponge cakes and oyster-shells. " It does not
quite look like a human being," said Violet doubtfully ; nor could
they make out what it really was, till the Quangle-Wangle (who had
previously been round the world) exclaimed softly in a loud voice
€t It is the co-operative Cauliflower ! "
And so, in truth, it was : and they soon found that what they had
taken for an immense wig was in reality the top of the Cauliflower ;
and that he had no feet at all, being able to walk tolerably well with
a fluctuating and graceful movement on a single cabbage-stalk, — an
accomplishment which naturally saved him the expense of stockings
and shoes.
Presently, while the whole party from the boat was gazing at
him with mingled affection and disgust, he suddenly arose, and,
in a somewhat plumdomphious manner, hurried off towards the
setting sun, — his steps supported by two superincumbent confi-
dential Cucumbers, and a large number of Waterwagtails proceed-
ing in advance of him by three and three in a row, — till he finally
disappeared on the brink of the western sky in a crystal cloud of
sudorific sand.
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THE FOUR LITTLE CHILDREN.
So remarkable a sight, of course, impressed the four children very
deeply ; and they returned immediately to their boat with a strong
sense of undeveloped asthma and a great appetite.
Shortly after this, the travellers were obliged to sail directly below
some high overhanging rocks, from the top of one of which a par-
ticularly odious little boy, dressed in rose-colored knickerbockers,
and with a pewter plate upon his head, threw an enormous pumpkin
at the boat, by which it was instantly upset.
But this upsetting was of no consequence, because all the party
knew how to swim very well : and, in fact, they preferred swimming
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THE FOUR LITTLE CHILDREN.
55
about till after the moon rose ; when, the water growing chilly, they
sponge-taneously entered the boat. Meanwhile the Quangle-Wangle
threw back the pumpkin with immense force, so that it hit the rocks
where the malicious little boy in rose-colored knickerbockers was
sitting ; when, being quite full of lucifer-matches, the . pumpkin
exploded surreptitiously into a thousand bits ; whereon the rocks
instantly took fire, and the odious little boy became unpleasantly
hotter and hotter and hotter, till his knickerbockers were turned
quite green, and his nose was burnt off.
Two or three days after this had happened, they came to another
place, where they found nothing at all except some wide and deep
pits full of mulberry-jam. This is the property of the tiny, yellow-
nosed Apes who abound in these districts, and who store up the
mulberry-jam for their food in winter, when they mix it with pellu-
cid pale periwinkle-soup, and serve it out in wedgewood china-
bowls, which grow freely all over that part of the country. Only
one of the yellow-nosed Apes was on the spot, and he was fast
asleep ; yet the four travellers and the Quangle-Wangle and Pussy
were so terrified by the violence and sanguinary sound of his snor-
ing, that they merely took a small cupful of the jam, and returned
to re-embark in their boat without delay.
What was their horror on seeing the boat (including the churn
and the tea-kettle) in the mouth of an enormous Seeze Pyder, an
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56 THE FOUR LITTLE CHILDREN.
aquatic and ferocious creature truly dreadful to behold, and, hap-
pily, only met with in those excessive longitudes ! In a moment,
the beautiful boat was bitten into fifty-five thousand million hundred
billion bits ; and it instantly became quite clear that Violet, Slingsby,
Guy, and Lionel could no longer preliminate their voyage by sea.
The four travellers were therefore obliged to resolve on pursuing
their wanderings by land: and, very fortunately, there happened
to pass by at that moment an elderly Rhinoceros, on which they
seized ; and, all four mounting on his back, — the Quangle-Wangle
sitting on his horn, and holding on by his ears, and the Pussy-Cat
swinging at the end of his tail, — they set off, having only four small
beans and three pounds of mashed potatoes to last through their
whole journey.
They were, however, able to catch numbers of the chickens and
turkeys and other birds who incessantly alighted on the head of the
Rhinoceros for the purpose of gathering the seeds of the rhododen-
dron-plants which grew there ; and these creatures they cooked in
the most translucent and satisfactory manner by means of a fire
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THE FOUR LITTLE CHILDREN.
57
lighted on the end of the Rhinoceros's back. A crowd of Kanga-
roos and gigantic Cranes accompanied them, from feelings of curios-
ity and complacency ; so that they were never at a loss for company,
and went onward, as it were, in a sort of profuse and triumphant
procession.
Thus in less than eighteen weeks they all arrived safely at
home, where they were received by their admiring relatives with
joy tempered with contempt, and where they finally resolved to
carry out the rest of their travelling-plans at some more favorable
opportunity.
As for the Rhinoceros, in token of their grateful adherence, they
had him killed and stuffed directly, and then set him up outside
the door of their father's house as a diaphanous doorscraper.
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THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN FAMILIES OF
THE LAKE PIPPLE-POPPLE.
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTORY.
TN former days, — that is to say, once upon a time, — there lived
in the Land of Gramble-Blamble seven families. They lived
by the side of the great Lake Pipple- Popple (one of the seven
families, indeed, lived in the lake), and on the outskirts of the city
of Tosh, which, excepting when it was quite dark, they could see
plainly. The names of all these places you have probably heard
of; and you have only not to look in your geography-books to
find out all about them.
Now, the seven families who lived on the borders of the great
Lake Pipple-Popple were as follows in the next chapter.
CHAPTER II.
THE SEVEN FAMILIES.
HPHERE was a family of two old Parrots and seven young
Parrots.
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THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN FAMILIES. 59
There was a family of two old Storks and seven young Storks.
There was a family of two old Geese and seven young Geese.
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60 THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN FAMILIES.
There was a family of two old Owls and seven young Owls.
There was a family of two old Guinea Pigs and seven young
Guinea Pigs.
There was a family of two old Cats and seven young Cats.
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THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN FAMILIES.
6l
And there was a family of two old Fishes and seven young
Fishes.
CHAPTER III.
THE HABITS OF THE SEVEN FAMILIES.
'"THE Parrots lived upon the Soffsky-Poffsky trees, which were
beautiful to behold, and covered with blue leaves ; and they
fed upon fruit, artichokes, and striped beetles.
The Storks walked in and out of the Lake Pipple- Popple, and
ate frogs for breakfast, and buttered toast for tea ; but on account
of the extreme length of their legs they could not sit down, and so
they walked about continually.
The Geese, having webs to their feet, caught quantities of flies,
which they ate for dinner.
The Owls anxiously looked after mice, which they caught, and
made into sago-puddings.
The Guinea Pigs toddled about the gardens, and ate lettuces
and Cheshire cheese.
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62 THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN FAMILIES.
The Cats sate still in the sunshine, and fed upon sponge biscuits.
The Fishes lived in the lake, and fed chiefly on boiled peri-
winkles.
And all these seven families lived together in the utmost fun and
felicity.
CHAPTER IV.
THE CHILDREN OF THE SEVEN FAMILIES ARE SENT AWAY.
/^NE day all the seven fathers and the seven mothers of the
seven families agreed that they would send their children
out to see the world.
So they called them all together, and gave them each eight
shillings and some good advice, some chocolate-drops, and a small
green morocco pocket-book to set down their expenses in.
They then particularly entreated them not to quarrel ; and all
the parents sent off their children with a parting injunction.
"If," said the old Parrots, "you find a cherry, do not fight
about who should have it."
"And," said the old Storks, "if you find a frog, divide it care-
fully into seven bits, but on no account quarrel about it."
And the old Geese said to the seven young Geese, "What-
ever you do, be sure you do not touch a plum-pudding flea."
And the old Owls said, " If you find a mouse, tear him up into
seven slices, and eat him cheerfully, but without quarrelling."
And the old Guinea Pigs said, " Have a care that you eat your
lettuces, should you find any, not greedily, but calmly."
And the old Cats said, "Be particularly careful not to meddle
with a dangle- wangle if you should see one."
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THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN FAMILIES. 63
And the old Fishes said, " Above all things, avoid eating a blue
boss-woss ; for they do not agree with fishes, and give them a pain
in their toes."
So all the children of each family thanked their parents ; and,
making in all forty-nine polite bows, they went into .the wide
world.
CHAPTER V.
THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN YOUNG PARROTS.
'T^HE seven young Parrots had not gone far, when they saw
a tree with a single cherry on it, which the oldest Parrot
picked instantly ; but the other six, being extremely hungry, tried
to get it also. On which all the seven began to fight; and they
scuffled,
and huffled,
and ruffled,
and shuffled,
and puffled,
and muffled,
and buffled,
and duffled,
and fluffled,
and guffled,
and bruffled, and
screamed, and shrieked, and squealed,
and squeaked, and clawed, and snapped, and bit, and bumped,
and thumped, and dumped, and flumped each other, till they were
all torn into little bits; and at last there was nothing left to re-
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THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN FAMILIES.
cord this painful incident except the cherry and seven small green
feathers.
And that was the vicious and voluble end of the seven young
Parrots.
CHAPTER VI.
THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN YOUNG STORKS.
"\ X THEN the seven young Storks set out, they walked or flew for
fourteen weeks in a straight line, and for six weeks more in
a crooked one ; and after that they ran as hard as they could for
one hundred and eight miles ; and after that they stood still, and
made a himmeltanious chatter- clatter-blattery noise with their bills.
About the same time they perceived a large frog, spotted with
green, and with a sky-blue stripe under each ear.
So, being hungry, they immediately flew at him, and were going
to divide him into seven pieces, when they began to quarrel as to
which of his legs should be taken off first. One said this, and
another said that; and while they were all quarrelling, the frog
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THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN FAMILIES.
6 5
hopped away. And when they saw that he was gone, they began
to chatter-clatter,
blatter-platter,
patter-blatter,
matter-clatter,
flatter-quatter, more violently than ever ; and after they
had fought for a week, they pecked each other all to little pieces,
so that at last nothing was left of any of them except their bills.
And that was the end of the seven young Storks.
CHAPTER VII.
THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN YOUNG GEESE.
T X 7"HEN the seven young Geese began to travel, they went over
a large plain, on which there was but one tree, and that was
a very bad one.
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66 THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN FAMILIES.
So four of them went up to the top of it, and looked about
them ; while the other three waddled up and down, and repeated
poetry, and their last six lessons in arithmetic, geography, and
cookery.
Presently they perceived, a long way off, an object of the most
interesting and obese appearance, having a perfectly round body
exactly resembling a boiled plum-pudding, with two little wings, and
a beak, and three feathers growing out of his head, and only one
leg.
So, after a time, all the seven young Geese said to each
other, "Beyond all doubt this beast must be a Plum-pudding
Flea ! "
On which they incautiously began to sing aloud,
" Plum-pudding Flea,
Plum-pudding Flea,
Wherever you be,
Oh ! come to our tree,
And listen, oh ! listen, oh ! listen to me ! "
And no sooner had they sung this verse than the Plum-pud-
ding Flea began to hop and skip on his one leg with the
most dreadful velocity, and came straight to the tree, where he
stopped, and looked about him in a vacant and voluminous
manner.
On which the seven young Geese were greatly alarmed, and all
of a tremble-bemble : so one of them put out his long neck, and
just touched him with the tip of his bill; but no sooner had he
done this than the Plum-pudding Flea skipped and hopped about
more and more, and higher and higher ; after which he opened
his mouth, and, to the great surprise and indignation of the seven
Geese, began to bark so loudly and furiously and terribly, that
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THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN FAMILIES.
67
they were totally unable to bear the noise ; and by degrees every
one of them suddenly tumbled down quite dead.
So that was the end of the seven young Geese.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN YOUNG OWLS.
"\ \ 7*HEN the seven young Owls set out, they sate every now and
then on the branches of old trees, and never went far at
one time.
And one night, when it was quite dark, they thought they heard
a mouse ; but, as the gas-lamps were not lighted, they could not
see him.
So they called out, " Is that a mouse? "
On which a mouse answered, " Squeaky-peeky-weeky ! yes, it is ! "
And immediately all the young Owls threw themselves off the
tree, meaning to alight on the ground ; but they did not perceive
that there was a large well below them, into which they all fell su-
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68 THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN FAMILIES.
perficially, and were every one of them drowned in less than half a
minute.
So that was the end of the seven young Owls.
CHAPTER IX.
THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN YOUNG GUINEA PIGS.
*T*HE seven young Guinea Pigs went into a garden full of goose-
berry-bushes and tiggory-trees, under one of which they fell
asleep. When they awoke, they saw a large lettuce, which had
grown out of the ground while they had been sleeping, and which
had an immense number of green leaves. At which they all
exclaimed, —
" Lettuce ! O lettuce
Let us, O let us,
O lettuce-leaves,
O let us leave this tree, and eat
Lettuce, O let us, lettuce-leaves ! "
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THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN FAMILIES. 69
And instantly the seven young Guinea Pigs rushed with such ex-
treme force against the lettuce -plant, and hit their heads so vividly
against its stalk, that the concussion brought on directly an incipient
transitional inflammation of their noses, which grew worse and worse
and worse and worse, till it incidentally killed them all seven.
And that was the end of the seven young Guinea Pigs.
CHAPTER X.
THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN YOUNG CATS.
HPHE seven young Cats set off on their travels with great delight
and rapacity. But, on coming to the top of a high hill, they
perceived at a long distance off a Clangle- Wangle (or, as it is more
properly written, Clangel-Wangel) ; and, in spite of the warning
they had had, they ran straight up to it.
(Now, the Clangle- Wangle is a most dangerous and delusive
beast, and by no means commonly to be met with. They live in
the water as well as on land, using their long tail as a sail when in
the former element. Their speed is extreme ; but their habits of
life are domestic and superfluous, and their general demeanor pen-
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JO THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN FAMILIES.
sive and pellucid. On summer evenings, they may sometimes be
observed near the Lake Pipple- Popple, standing on their heads, and
humming their national melodies. They subsist entirely on vege-
tables, excepting when they eat veal or mutton or pork or beef or
fish or saltpetre.)
The moment the Clangle-Wangle saw the seven young Cats ap-
proach, he ran away ; and as he ran straight on for four months,
and the Cats, though they continued to run, could never overtake
him, they all gradually died of fatigue and exhaustion, and never
afterwards recovered.
And this was the end of the seven young Cats.
CHAPTER XI.
THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN YOUNG FISHES.
n^HE seven young Fishes swam across the Lake Pipple-Popple,
and into the river, and into the ocean ; where, most unhap-
pily for them, they saw, on the fifteenth day of their travels, a
bright-blue Boss-Woss, and instantly swam after him. But the Blue
Boss-Woss plunged into a perpendicular,
spicular,
orbicular,
quadrangular,
circular depth of soft mud :
where, in fact, his house was.
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THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN FAMILIES. 7 l
And the seven young Fishes, swimming with great and uncom*
fortable velocity, plunged also into the mud quite against their will,
and, not being accustomed to it, were all suffocated in a very short
period.
And that was the end of the seven young Fishes.
CHAPTER XII.
OF WHAT OCCURRED SUBSEQUENTLY.
A FTER it was known that the
seven young Parrots,
and the seven young Storks,
and the seven young Geese,
and the seven young Owls,
and the seven young Guinea Pigs,
and the seven young Cats,
and the seven young Fishes,
were all dead, then the Frog, and the Plum-pudding Flea, and the
Mouse, and the Clangle-Wangle, and the Blue Boss-Woss, all met
together to rejoice over their good fortune. And they collected
the seven feathers of the seven young Parrots, and the seven bills of
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THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN FAMILIES.
the seven young Storks, and the lettuce, and the cherry; and
having placed the latter on the lettuce, and the other objects in a
circular arrangement at their base, they danced a hornpipe round
all these memorials until they were quite tired; after which they
gave a tea-party, and a garden-party, and a ball, and a concert, and
then returned to their respective homes full of joy and respect,
sympathy, satisfaction, and disgust.
CHAPTER XIII.
6F WHAT BECAME OF THE PARENTS OF THE FORTY-NINE CHILDREN
T>UT grhen the two old Parrots,
and the two old Storks,
And the two old Geese,
and the two old Owls,
and the two old Guinea Pigs,
and the two old Cats,
and the two old Fishes,
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THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN FAMILIES. ft
became aware, by reading in the newspapers, of the calamitous ex-
tinction of the whole of their families, they refused all further sus-
tenance ; and, sending out to various shops, they purchased great
quantities of Cayenne pepper and brandy and vinegar and blue
sealing-wax, besides seven immense glass bottles with air-tight
stoppers. And, having done this, they ate a light supper of brown-
bread and Jerusalem artichokes, and took an affecting and formal
leave of the whole of their acquaintance, which was very numerous
and distinguished and select and responsible and ridiculous.
CHAPTER XIV.
CONCLUSION.
AND after this they filled the bottles with the ingredients for
pickling, and each couple jumped into a separate bottle ; by
which effort, of course, they all died immediately, and became
thoroughly pickled in a few minutes ; having previously made
their wills (by the assistance of the most eminent lawyers of the
district), in which they left strict orders that the stoppers of the
seven bottles should be carefully sealed up with the blue sealing-
wax they had purchased ; and that they themselves, in the bottles,
should be presented to the principal museum of the city of Tosh,
to be labelled with parchment or any other anti-congenial succeda-
neum, and to be placed on a marble table with silver-gilt legs, for
the daily inspection and contemplation, and for the perpetual
benefit, of the pusillanimous public.
And if you ever happen to go to Gramble-Blamble, and visit
that museum in the city of Tosh, look for them on the ninety-
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74 THE HISTORY OF THE SEVEN FAMILIES.
eighth table in the four hundred and twenty-seventh room of the
right-hand corridor of the left wing of the central quadrangle of
that magnificent building; for, if you do not, you certainly will
not see them.
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NONSENSE COOKERY.
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NONSENSE COOKERY.
Extract from "The Nonsense Gazette," for August, 1870.
" /^\UR readers will be interested in the following communica*
tions from our valued and learned contributor, Prof. Bosh,
whose labors in the fields of culinary and botanical science are so
well known to all the world. The first three articles richly merit
to be added to the domestic cookery of every family : those which
follow claim the attention of all botanists ; and we are happy to
be able, through Dr. Bosh's kindness, to present our readers with
illustrations of his discoveries. All the new flowers are found in
the Valley of Verrikwier, near the Lake of Oddgrow, and on the
summit of the Hill Orfeltugg."
THREE RECEIPTS FOR DOMESTIC COOKERY.
TO MAKE AN AMBLONGUS PIE.
HTAKE 4 pounds (say 4% pounds) of fresh Amblongusses, and
put them in a small pipkin.
Cover them with water, and boil them for 8 hours incessantly ;
after which add 2 pints of new milk, and proceed to boil for 4
hours more.
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78 NONSENSE COOKERY.
When you have ascertained that the Amblongusses are quite
soft, take them out, and place them in a wide pan, taking care to
shake them well previously.
Grate some nutmeg over the surface, and cover them carefully
with powdered gingerbread, curry-powder, and a sufficient quantity
of Cayenne pepper.
Remove the pan into the next room, and place it on the floor.
Bring it back again, and let it simmer for three-quarters of an hour.
Shake the pan violently till all the Amblongusses have become of a
pale purple color.
Then, having prepared the paste, insert the whole carefully;
adding at the same time a small pigeon, 2 slices of beef, 4 cauli-
flowers, and any number of oysters.
Watch patiently till the crust begins to rise, and add a pinch of
salt from time to time.
Serve up in a clean dish, and throw the whole out of window
as fast as possible.
TO MAKE CRUMBOBBLIOUS CUTLETS.
pROCURE some strips of beef, and, having cut them into the
smallest possible slices, proceed to cut them still smaller, —
eight, or perhaps nine times.
When the whole is thus minced, brush it up hastily with a new
clothes-brush, and stir round rapidly and capriciously with a salt-
spoon or a soup-ladle.
Place the whole in a saucepan, and remove it to a sunny place,
— say the roof of the house, if free from sparrows or other birds, —
and leave it there for about a week.
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NONSENSE COOKERY. 79
At the end of that time add a little lavender, some oil of al-
monds, and a few herring-bones ; and then cover the whole with
4 gallons of clarified Crumbobblious sauce, when it will be ready
for use.
Cut it into the shape of ordinary cutlets, and serve up in a clean
table-cloth or dinner-napkin.
TO MAKE GOSKY PATTIES.
'T*AKE a pig three or four years of age, and tie him by the off
hind-leg to a post. Place 5 pounds of currants, 3 of sugar, 2
pecks of peas, 18 roast chestnuts, a candle, and 6 bushels of tur-
nips, within his reach : if he eats these, constantly provide him
with more.
Then procure some cream, some slices of Cheshire cheese, 4
quires of foolscap paper, and a packet of black pins. Work th%
whole into a paste, and spread it out to dry on a sheet of clean
brown waterproof linen.
When the paste is perfectly dry, but not before, proceed to beat
the pig violently with the handle of a large broom. If he squeals,
beat him again.
Visit the paste and beat the pig alternately for some days, and
ascertain if, at the end of that period, the whole is about to turn
into Gosky Patties.
If it does not then, it never will ; and in that case the pig
may be let loose, and the whole process may be considered as
finished.
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NONSENSE BOTANY.
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Baccopipia Gracilis.
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Bottlephorkia Spoonifolia.
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Cockatooca Superba-
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Fishia Marina.
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Guittara Pensilis.
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Manypeeplia Upsidownia.
Google
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Phattfacia Stupenda.
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Piggiwiggia Pyramidalis.
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Plumbunnia Nutritiosa.
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Pollybirdia Singularis.
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NONSENSE ALPHABETS.
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A
A
was an ant
Who seldom stood still,
And who made a nice house
In the side of a hill.
a
Nice little ant !
B
was a book
With a binding of blue,
And pictures and stories
For me and for you.
Nice little book !
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c
c
was a cat
Who ran after a rat ;
But his courage did fail
When she seized on his tail.
C
Crafty old cat !
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D
D
was a duck
With spots on his back,
Who lived in the water,
And always said " Quack ! "
Dear little duck !
7
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E
E
was an elephant,
Stately and wise :
He had tusks and a trunk,
And two queer little eyes.
Oh, what funny small eyes !
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IP was a fish
Who was caught in a net ;
But he got out again,
And is quite alive yet.
Lively young fish !
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G
\^J was a goat
Who was spotted with brown ;
When he did not lie still
He walked up and down.
g
Good little goat !
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H
H
was a hat
Which was all on one side ;
Its crown was too high,
And its brim was too wide.
Oh, what a hat !
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I
I
was some ice
So white and so nice,
But which nobody tasted ;
And so it was wasted.
1
All that good ice !
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J was a jackdaw
Who hopped up and down
In the principal street
Of a neighboring town.
j
All through the town !
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K
, was a kite
Which flew out of sight,
Above houses so high,
Quite into the sky.
Fly away, kite !
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L
L
was a light
Which burned all the night,
And lighted the gloom
Of a very dark room.
l
Useful nice light !
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M
M
was a mill
Which stood on a hill,
And turned round and round
With a loud hummy sound.
m
Useful old mill !
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N
N
was a net
Which was thrown in the sea
To catch fish for dinner
For you and for me.
n
Nice little net !
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o
was an orange
So yellow and round :
When it fell off the tree,
It fell down to the ground.
O
Down to the ground !
was a pig,
Who was not very big ;
But his tail was too curly,
And that made him surly.
Cross little pig !
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Q
# was a quail
With a very short tail ;
And he fed upon corn
In the evening and morn.
q
Quaint little quail !
R
R
, was a rabbit,
Who had a bad habit
Of eating the flowers
In gardens and bowers.
Naughty fat rabbit 1
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T
was the sugar-tongs,
Nippity-nee,
To take up the sugar
To put in our tea.
X was a tortoise,
All yellow and black :
He walked slowly away,
And he never came back.
Torty never came back !
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u
u
was an urn
All polished and bright,
And full of hot water
At noon and at night.
U
Useful old urn !
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V
was a villa
Which stood on a hill,
By the side of a river,
And close to a mill.
V
Nice little villa !
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w
w
was a whale
With a very long tail,
Whose movements were frantic
Across the Atlantic.
W
Monstrous old whale !
8
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X
X
was King Xerxes,
Who, more than all Turks, is
Renowned for his fashion
Of fury and passion.
X
Angry old Xerxes !
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Y
Y
was a yew,
Which flourished and grew
By a quiet abode
Near the side of a road.
y
Dark little yew !
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Z-y was some zinc,
So shiny and bright,
Which caused you to wink
In the sun's merry light
Z
Beautiful zinc !
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A
B
A
a
was once an apple-pie,
Pidy,
Widy,
Tidy,
Pidy,
Nice insidy,
Apple-pie !
was once a little bear,
Beary,
Wary,
Hairy,
Beary,
Taky cary,
Little bear I
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c
was once a little cake,
Caky,
Baky,
Maky,
Caky,
Taky caky,
Little cake !
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D
D
was once a little doll,
Dolly,
Molly,
Polly,
Nolly,
Nursy dolly,
Little doll !
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E
E
was once a little eel,
Eely,
Weely,
Peely,
Eely,
Twirly, tweely,
Little eel !
was once a little fish,
Fishy,
Wishy,
Squishy,
Fishy,
In a dishy,
little fish !
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G
g
G
was once a little goose,
Goosy,
Moosy,
Boosey,
Goosey,
Waddly-woosy,
Little goose I
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H
H
was once a little hen,
Henny,
Chenny,
Tenny,
Henny.
Eggsy-any,
Little hen?
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I
I
1
was once a bottle of ink,
Inky,
Dinky,
Thinky,
Inky,
Blacky minky,
Bottle of ink !
j
was once a jar of jam,
Jammy,
Mammy,
Clammy,
Jammy,
Sweety, swam my,
Jar of jam !
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K
, was once a little kite,
Kity,
Whity,
Flighty,
Kity,
Out of sighty,
Little kite !
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L
1
was once a little lark,
Larky,
Marky,
Harky,
Larky,
In the parky,
Little lark !
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M
N
M
m
was once a little mouse,
Mousy,
Bousy,
Sousy,
Mousy,
In the housy,
Little mouse !
N
n
was once a little needle,
Needly,
Tweedly,
Threedly,
Needly,
Wisky, wheedly,
Little needle !
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o
o
o
was once a little owl,
Owly,
Prowly,
Howly,
Owly,
Browny fowly,
Little owl !
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was once a little pump,
Pumpy,
Slumpy,
Flumpy,
Pumpy,
Dumpy, thumpy,
Little pump !
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Q
Q
was once a little quail,
Quaily,
Faily,
Daily,
Quaily,
Stumpy-taily,
Little quail !
9
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R
R
was once a little rose,
Rosy,
Posy,
Nosy,
Rosy,
Blows-y, grows-y,
Little rose !
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was once a little shrimp,
Shrimpy,
Nimpy,
Flimpy,
Shrimpy,
Jumpy, jimpy,
Little shrimp !
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T
T
was once a little thrush,
Thrushy,
Hushy,
Bushy,
Thrushy,
Flitty, flushy,
Little thrush !
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u
u
u
was once a little urn,
Urny,
Burny,
Turny,
Urny,
Bubbly, burny,
Little urn !
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V
V
v
was once a little vine,
Viny,
Winy,
Twiny,
Viny,
Twisty-twiny,
Little vine !
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w
w
W
was once a whale,
Whaly,
Scaly,
Shaly,
Whaly,
Tumbly-taily,
Mighty whale !
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X
x
x
was once a great king Xerxes,
Xerxy,
Perxy,
Turxy,
Xerxy,
Linxy, lurxy,
Great King Xerxes !
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Y
y
Y
was once a little yew,
Yewdy,
Fewdy,
Crudy,
Yewdy,
Growdy, grewdy,
Little yew !
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z
was once a piece of zinc,
Tinky,
Winky,
Blinky,
Tinky,
Tinkly minky,
Piece of zinc !
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A
A
was an ape,
Who stole some white tape,
And tied up his toes
In four beautiful bows.
a
Funny old ape!
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B
B
was a bat,
Who slept all the day,
And fluttered about
When the sun went away.
Brown little bat !
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V-' was a camel :
You rode on his hump ;
And if you fell off,
You came down such a bump !
C
What a high camel !
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D
D
was a dove,
Who lived in a wood,
With such pretty soft wings,
And so gentle and good !
Dear little dove 1
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E
E
was an eagle,
Who sat on the rocks,
And looked down on the fields
And the far-away flocks.
e
Beautiful eagle I
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was a fan
Made of beautiful stuff;
And when it was used,
It went puffy-puff-puff !
G
Nice little fan !
G
was a gooseberry,
Perfectly red ;
To be made into jam,
And eaten with bread.
g
Gooseberry red 1
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H
H
was a heron,
Who stood in a stream :
The length of his neck
And his legs was extreme.
Long-legged heron !
10
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I
I
was an inkstand,
Which stood on a table,
With a nice pen to write with
When we are able.
Neat little inkstand !
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%J was a jug,
So pretty and white,
With fresh water in it
At morning and night.
j
Nice little jug !
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K
K
, was a kingfisher :
Quickly he flew,
So bright and so pretty ! -
Green, purple, and blue.
Kingfisher blue !
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L
L
1 was a lily,
So white and so sweet \
To see it and smell it
Was quite a nice treat.
l
Beautiful lily I
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M
M
was a man,
Who walked round and round ;
And he wore a long coat
That came down to the ground.
m
Funny old man !
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N
O
was a nut
So smooth and so brown !
And when it was ripe,
It fell tumble-dum-down.
n
Nice little nut !
o
was an oyster,
Who lived in his shell :
If you let him alone,
He felt perfectly well.
O
Open-mouthed oyster !
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JL was a polly,
All red, blue, and green, -
The most beautiful polly
That ever was seen.
Poor little polly f
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Q
Vo£ was a quill
Made into a pen ;
But I do not know where,
And I cannot say when.
Nice little quill !
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R
R
, was a rattlesnake,
Rolled up so tight,
Those who saw him ran quickly,
For fear he should bite.
r
Rattlesnake bite !
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T
K-7 was a screw
To screw down a box ;
And then it was fastened
Without any locks.
S
Valuable screw !
T
was a thimble,
Of silver so bright !
When placed on the finger,
It fitted so tight !
t
Nice little thimble !
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u
U
was an upper-coat,
Woolly and warm,
To wear over all
In the snow or the storm.
U
What a nice upper-coat !
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V
v
was a veil
With a border upon it,
And a ribbon to tie it
All round a pink bonnet
V
Pretty green veil I
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w
w
was a watch,
Where, in letters of gold,
The hour of the day
You might always behold.
W
Beautiful watch \
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X
X
was King Xerxes,
Who wore on his head
A mighty large turban,
Green, yellow, and red.
X
Look at King Xerxes 1
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Y
Y
was a yak,
From the land of Thibet :
Except his white tail,
He was all black as jet.
y
Look at the yak !
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J ^ was a zebra,
All striped white and black ;
And if he were tame,
You might ride on his back.
Z
Pretty striped zebra !
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More Nonsense,
picture^ ffi^meg, "Botany, etc.
By EDWARD LEAR.
BOSTON
LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY
1904
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CONTENTS.
Page
NONSENSE BOTANY 13
ONE HUNDRED NONSENSE PICTURES AND RHYMES 27
TWENTY-SIX NONSENSE RHYMES AND PICTURES . 85
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INTRODUCTION.
TN offering this little book — the third of its kind —
•*- to the public, I am glad to take the opportunity
of recording the pleasure I have received at the ap-
preciation its predecessors have met with, as attested
by their wide circulation, and by the universally kind
notices of them from the Press. To have been the
means of administering innocent mirth to thousands,
may surely be a just motive for satisfaction, and an
excuse for grateful expression.
At the same time, I am desirous of adding a few
words as to the history of the two previously pub-
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vi INTRODUCTION.
lished volumes, and more particularly of the first or
original " Book of Nonsense," relating to which many
absurd reports have crept into circulation, such as that
it was the composition of the late Lord Brougham, the
late Earl of Derby, etc. ; that the rhymes and pictures
are by different persons; or that the whole have a
symbolical meaning, etc.; whereas, every one of the
Rhymes was composed by myself, and every one of
the Illustrations drawn by my own hand at the time
the verses were made. Moreover, in no portion of
these Nonsense drawings have I ever allowed any cari-
cature of private or public persons to appear, and
throughout, more care than might be supposed has
been given to make the subjects incapable of misin-
terpretation: " Nonsense," pure and absolute, having
been my aim throughout.
As for the persistently absurd report of the late Earl
of Derby being the author of the " First Book of Non-
sense," I may relate an incident which occurred to me
four summers ago, the first that gave me any insight
into the origin of the rumor.
I was on my way from London to Guildford, in a
railway carriage, containing, besides myself, one pas-
senger, an elderly gentleman : presently, however, two
ladies entered, accompanied by two little boys. These,
who had just had a copy of the " Book of Nonsense "
given them, were loud in their delight, and by degrees
infected the whole party with their mirth.
" How grateful," said the old gentleman to the two
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INTRODUCTION. vii
ladies, " all children, and parents too, ought to be to
the statesman who has given his time to composing
that charming book ! "
(The ladies looked puzzled, as indeed was I, the
author.)
" Do you not know who is the writer of it ? " asked
the gentleman.
" The name is ' Edward Lear/ " said one of the
ladies.
" Ah ! " said the first speaker, " so it is printed ; but
that is only a whim of the real author, the Earl of
Derby. ' Edward ' is his Christian name, and, as you
may see, LEAR is only EARL transposed."
" But," said the lady, doubtingly, " here is a dedi-
cation to the great-grandchildren, grand-nephews, and
grand-nieces of Edward, thirteenth Earl of Derby, by
the author, Edward Lear."
" That," replied the other, " is simply a piece of
mystification; I am in a position to know that the
whole book was composed and illustrated by Lord
Derby himself. In fact, there is no such a person at
all as Edward Lear."
" Yet," said the other lady, " some friends of mine
tell me they know Mr. Lear."
" Quite a mistake ! completely a mistake ! " said the
old gentleman, becoming rather angry at the contra-
diction; "I am well aware of what I am saying: I
can inform you, no such a person as * Edward Lear*
exists! "
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viii INTRODUCTION.
Hitherto I had kept silence ; but as my hat was, as
well as my handkerchief and stick, largely marked in-
side with my name, and as I happened to have in my
pocket several letters addressed to me, the temptation
was too great to resist ; so, flashing all these articles at
once on my would-be extinguisher's attention, I speed-
ily reduced him to silence.
The second volume of Nonsense, commencing with
the verses, " The Owl and the Pussy-Cat," was written
at different times, and for different sets of children:
the whole being collected in the course of last year,
were then illustrated, and published in a single vol-
ume, by Mr. R. J. Bush, of 32 Charing Cross.
The contents of the third or present volume were
made also at different intervals in the last two years.
Long years ago, in days when much of my time
was passed in a country house, where children and
mirth abounded, the lines beginning, " There was an
old man of Tobago," were suggested to me by a val-
ued friend, as a form of verse lending itself to limitless
variety for rhymes and pictures; and thenceforth the
greater part of the original drawings and verses for
the first " Book of Nonsense " were struck off with
a pen, no assistance ever having been given me in any
way but that of uproarious delight and welcome at the
appearance of every new absurdity.
Most of these Drawings and Rhymes were trans-
ferred to lithographic stones in the year 1846, and
were, then first published by Mr. Thomas McLean, of
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INTRODUCTION. IX
the Haymarket. But that edition having been soon
exhausted, and the call for the " Book of Nonsense "
continuing, I added a considerable number of subjects
to those previously published, and having caused the
whole to be carefully reproduced in woodcuts by
Messrs. Dalzell, I disposed of the copyright to Messrs.
Routledge and Warne, by whom the volume was
published in 1843.
EDWARD LEAR.
Villa Emily, San Remo,
August, 1 87 1.
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NONSENSE BOTANY.
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Barkia Howlaloudia.
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Enkoopia Chickabiddia.
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Jinglia TinkettHa.
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Nasticreechia Krorluppia.
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Arthbroomia Rigidsu
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Sophtsluggia Glutinosa.
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Minspysia Deliciosa.
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Shoebootia Utilis.
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Stunnia DinnerbelHa.
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Tickia Orologica.
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Washtubbia Circularis.
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Tigerlillia Terribilis.
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ONE HUNDRED NONSENSE PICTURES
AND RHYMES.
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There was a young person of Bantry,
Who frequently slept in the pantry ;
When disturbed by the mice, she appeased them with rice,
That judicious young person of Bantry.
There was an Old Man at a Junction,
Whose feelings were wrung with compunction
When they said, "The Train's gone ! v he exclaimed, "How
forlorn l"
But remained on the rails of the Junction.
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28
MORE NONSENSE PICTURES.
There was an old person of Minety,
Who purchased five hundred and ninety
Large apples and pears, which he threw unawares
At the heads of the people of Minety.
There was an old man of Thermopyloe,
Who never did anything properly ;
But they said, " If you choose to boil eggs in your shoes,
You shall never remain in Thermopyloe."
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MORE NONSENSE PICTURES.
29
There was an old person of Deal,
Who in walking used only his heel ;
When they said, "Tell us why?" he made no reply,
That mysterious old person of Deal.
There was an old man on the Humber,
Who dined on a cake of Burnt Umber ;
When he said, " It's enough ! " they only said,
You amazing old man on the Humber ! "
< Stuff!
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3°
MORE NONSENSE PICTURES.
There was an old man in a barge,
Whose nose was exceedingly large ;
But in fishing by night, it supported a light,
Which helped that old man in a barge.
There was an old man of Dunrose ;
A parrot seized hold of his nose.
When he grew melancholy, they said, " His name 's Polly,"
Which soothed that old man of Dunrose.
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MORE NONSENSE PICTURES.
31
There was an old man of Toulouse
Who purchased a new pair of shoes ;
When they asked, " Are they pleasant? " he said, " Not at present ! "
That turbid old man of Toulouse.
There was an old person of Bree,
Who frequented the depths of the sea ;
She nurs'd the small fishes, and washed all the dishes,
And swam back again into Bree.
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32
MORE NONSENSE PICTURES.
There was an old person of B< Q niley,
Whose ways were not cheerful or comely ;
He sate in the dust, eating spiders and crust,
That unpleasing old person of Bromley.
There was an old person of Shields,
Who frequented the vallies and fields ;
All the mice and the cats, and the snakes and the rats,
Followed after that person of Shields.
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MOKE NONSENSE PICTURES.
33
There was an old man of Dunluce,
Who went out to sea on a goose :
When he V* rt pne or t luile, he observ'd with a smile,
" It is time to return to Dunluce. "
There was an old man of Dee-side
Whose hat was exceedingly wide,
But he said, " Do not fail, if it happen to hail,
To come under my hat at Dee-side ! "
3
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34
MORE NONSENSE PICTURES.
There was an old person in black,
A Grasshopper jumped on his back ;
When it chirped in his ear, he was smitten with fear,
That helpless old person in black.
There was an old man of the Dargle
Who purchased six barrels of Gargle ;
For he said, " I '11 sit still, and will roll them down hill,
For the fish in the depths of the Dargle."
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MORE NONSENSE PICTURES.
35
There was an old person of Pinner,
As thin as a lath, if not thinner ;
They dressed him in white, and roll'd him up tight,
That elastic old person of Pinner.
There was an old person of China,
Whose daughters were Jiska and Dinah,
Amelia and Fluffy, Olivia and Chuffy,
And all of them settled in China.
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36
MORE NONSENSE PICTURES.
There was an old man in a Marsh,
Whose manners were futile and harsh ;
He sate on a log, and sang songs to a frog,
That instructive old man in a Marsh.
There was an old person of Brill,
Who purchased a shirt with a frill ;
But they said, " Don't you wish, you may n't look like a fish,
You obsequious old person of Brill ? "
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MORE NONSENSE PICTURES,
There was an old person of Wick
Who said, "Tick-a-Tick, Tick-a-Tick;
Chickabee, Chickabaw." And he said nothing more,
That laconic old person ^>* Wick.
There was an old man at a Station,
Who made a promiscuous oration ;
But they said, " Take some snuff ! — You have talk'd quite enough,
You afflicting old man at a Station I "
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38
MORE NONSENSE PICTURES.
There was an old man of Three Bridges,
Whose mind was distracted by midges,
He sate on a wheel, eating underdone veal,
Which relieved that old man of Three Bridges.
There was an old man of Hong Kong,
Who never did anything wrong ;
He lay on his back, with his head in a sack,
That innocuous old man of Hong Kong.
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MORE NONSENSE PICTURES.
39
There was a young person in green,
Who seldom was fit to be seen ;
She wore a long shawl, over bonnet and all,
Which enveloped that person in green.
There was an old person of Fife,
Who was greatly disgusted with life ;
They sang him a ballad, and fed him on salad,
Which cured that old person of Fife.
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40
MORE NONSENSE PICTURES.
There was an old man who screamed out
Whenever they knocked him about :
So they took off his boots, and fed him with fruits,
And continued to knock him about.
There was a young lady in white,
Who looked out at the depths of the night ;
But the birds of the air, filled her heart with despair,
And oppressed that young lady in white.
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MORE NONSENSE PICTURES.
4*
There was an old person of Slough,
Who danced at the end of a bough ;
But they said, " If you sneeze, you might damage the trees,
You imprudent old person of Slough."
There was an old person of Down,
Whose face was adorned with a frown ;
When he opened the door, for one minute or more,
He alarmed all the people of Down.
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42
More Nonsense pictures.
4
There was a young person in red,
Who carefully covered her head,
With a bonnet of leather, and three lines of feather,
Besides some long ribands of red.
There was an old person of Hove,
Who frequented the depths of a grove ;
Where he studied his books, with the wrens and the rooks,
That tranquil old person of Hove.
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MORE NONSENSE PICTURES.
43
There was a young person in pink,
Who called out for something to drink ;
But they said, " O my daughter, there 's nothing but water ! "
Which vexed that young person in pink.
There was an old lady of France,
Who taught little ducklings to dance ;
When she said, " Tick-a-tack ! " they only said, " Quack ! "
Which grieved that old lady of France,
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There was an old person of Putney,
Whose food was roast spiders and chutney,
Which he took with his tea, within sight of the sea,
That romantic old person of Putney.
There was an old person of Loo,
Who said, " What on earth shall I do?"
When they said, " Go away I " she continued to stay,
That vexatious old person of Loo.
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45
There was an old person of Woking,
Whose mind was perverse and provoking ;
He sate on a rail, with his head in a pail,
That illusive old person of Woking.
There was an old person of Dean
Who dined on one pea, and one bean ;
For he said, " More than that, would make me too fat."
That cautious old person of Dean-
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There was a young lady in blue,
Who said, " Is it you ? Is it you ?
When they said, " Yes, it is," she replied only, " Whizz ! '
That ungracious young lady in blue.
There was an old man in a garden,
Who always begged every one's pardon ;
When they asked him, " What for?" he replied, " You 're a bore !
And I trust you '11 go out of my garden,"
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47
There was an old person of Pisa,
Whose daughters did nothing to please her ;
She dressed them in gray, and banged them all day.
Round the walls of the city of Pisa.
There was an old person of Florence,
Who held mutton chops in abhorrence ;
He purchased a Bustard, and fried him in Mustard,
Which choked that old person of Florence,
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There was an old person of Sheen,
Whose expression was calm and serene ;
He sate in the water, and drank bottled porter,
That placid old person of Sheen.
There was an old person of Ware,
Who rode on the back of a bear : ,
When they ask'd, " Does it trot?" he said/" Certainly not !
He 's a Moppsikon Floppsikon bear | "
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49
There was a young person of Janina,
Whose uncle was always a fanning her ;
When he fanned off her head, she smiled sweetly, and said,
" You propitious old person of Janina ! "
==5^J5&=^=
There was an old man of Cashmere,
Whose movements were scroobious and queer ;
Being slender and tall, he looked over a wall,
And perceived two fat ducks of Cashmere.
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There was an old person of Cassel,
Whose nose finished off in a tassel ;
But they call'd out, " Oh well ! don't it look like a bell ! "
Which perplexed that old person of Cassel.
There was an old person of Pett,
Who was partly consumed by regret ;
He sate in a cart, and ate cold apple tart,
Which relieved that old person of Pett,
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St
There was an old man of Spithead,
Who opened the window, and said, —
" Fil-jomble, fil-jumble, fil-rumble-come-tumble ! "
That doubtful old man of Spithead.
There was an old man on the Border,
Who lived in the utmost disorder ;
He danced with the cat, and made tea in his hat,
Which vexed all the folks on the Border.
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There was an old man of Dumbree,
Who taught little owls to drink tea ;
For he said, " To eat mice is not proper or nice/'
That amiable man of Dumbree.
There was an old person of Filey,
Of whom his acquaintance spoke highly ;
lie danced perfectly well, to the sound of a bell,
And delighted the people of Filey.
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There was an old man whose remorse
Induced him to drink Caper Sauce ;
For they said, " If mixed up with some cold claret-cup,
It will certainly soothe your remorse ! "
There was an old man of Ibreem,
Who suddenly threaten'd to scream :
But they said, " If you do, we will thump you quite blue,
You disgusting old man of Ibreem ! "
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X
There was an old person of Wilts,
Who constantly walked upon stilts ;
He wreathed them with lilies and daffy-down-dillies,
That elegant person of Wilts.
There was an old person of Grange,
Whose manners were scroobious and strange ;
He sailed to St. Blubb in a waterproof tub,
That aquatic old person of Grange.
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5S
There was an old person of Newry,
Whose manners were tinctured with fury ;
He tore all the rugs, and broke all the jugs,
Within twenty miles' distance of Newry.
There was an old man of Dumblane,
Who greatly resembled a crane ;
But they said, " Is it wrong, since your legs are so long,
To request you won't stay in Dumblane? "
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Tnere was an old man of Port Grigor,
Whose actions were noted for vigour ;
He stood on his head till his waistcoat turned red,
That eclectic old man of Port Grigor.
There was an old man of El Hums,
Who lived upon nothing but crumbs,
Which he picked off the ground, with the other birds round,
In the roads and the lanes of El Hums.
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57
There was an old man of West Dumpet,
Who possessed a large nose like a trumpet ;
When he blew it aloud, it astonished the crowd,
And was heard through the whole of West Dumpet.
There was an old person of Sark,
Who made an unpleasant remark ;
But they said, " Don't you see what a brute you must be,
You obnoxious old person of Sark ! "
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MORE NONSENSE PICTURES.
There was an old man whose despair
Induced him to purchase a hare :
Whereon one fine day he rode wholly away,
Which partly assuaged his despair.
There was an old person of Barnes,
Whose garments were covered with darns ;
But they said, " Without doubt, you will soon wear them out,
You luminous person of Barnes ! "
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59
There was an old person of Nice,
Whose associates were usually Geese.
They walked out together in all sorts of weather,
That affable person of Nice !
There was a young lady of Greenwich,
Whose garments were border'd with Spinach ;
But a large spotty Calf bit her shawl quite in half,
Which alarmed that young lady of Greenwich.
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There was an old person of Cannes,
Who purchased three fowls and a fan ;
Those she placed on a stool, and to make them feel cool
She constantly fanned them at Cannes.
There was an old person of Ickley,
Who could not abide to ride quickly ;
He rode to Karnak on a tortoise's back,
That moony old person of Ickley
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6l
There was an old person of Hyde,
Who walked by the shore with his bride,
Till a Crab who came near fill'd their bosoms with fear,
And they said, " Would we 'd never left Hyde ! "
There was an old person in gray,
Whose feelings were tinged with dismay ;
She purchased two parrots, and fed them with carrots,
Which pleased that old person in gray.
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There was an old man of Ancona,
Who found a small dog with no owner,
Which he took up and down all the streets of the town,
That anxious old man of Ancona.
There was an old person of Sestri,
Who sate himself down in the vestry ;
When they said, " You are wrong ! " he merely said " Bong ! "
That repulsive old person of Sestri.
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63
There was an old person of Blythe,
Who cut up his meat with a scythe ;
When they said, " Well ! I never ! " he cried, " Scythes for ever 1 "
That lively old person of Blythe.
There was a young person of Ayr,
Whose head was remarkably square :
On the top, in fine weather, she wore a gold leather ;
Which dazzled the people of Ayr.
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There was an old person of Rimini,
Who said, " Gracious ! Goodness ! O Gimini ! "
When they said, " Please be still ! " she ran down a hill,
And was never more heard of at Rimini.
There is a young lady, whose nose,
Continually prospers and grows ;
When it grew out of sight, she exclaimed in a fright,
" Oh ! Farewell to the end of my nose 1 "
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65
There was an old person of Ealing,
Who was wholly devoid of good feeling ;
He drove a small gig, with three Owls and a Pig,
Which distressed all the people of Ealing.
There was an old man of Thames Ditton,
Who called out for something to sit on ;
But they brought him a hat, and said, " Sit upon that,
You abruptious old man of Thames Ditton ! M
5
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There was an old person of Bray,
Who sang through the whole of the day
To his ducks and his pigs, whom he fed upon figs,
That valuable person of Bray.
There was a young person whose history
Was always considered a mystery ;
She sate in a ditch, although no one knew which,
And composed a small treatise on history.
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67
There was an old person of Bow,
Whom nobody happened to know ;
So they gave him some soap, and said coldly, " We hope
You will go back directly to Bow ! "
There was an old person of Rye,
Who went up to town on a fly ;
But they said, " If you cough, you are safe to fall off !
You abstemious old person of Rye ! "
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There was an old person of Crowle,
Who lived in the nest of an owl ;
When they screamed in the nest, he screamed out with the rest,
That depressing old person of Crowle.
There was an old Lady of Winchelsea,
Who said, " If you needle or pin shall see
On the floor of my room, sweep it up with the broom ! '
That exhaustive old Lady of Winchelsea !
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69
There was an old man in a tree,
Whose whiskers were lovely to see ;
But the birds of the air pluck'd them perfectly bare,
To make themselves nests in that tree.
There was a young lady of Corsica,
Who purchased a little brown saucy-cur ;
Which she fed upon ham, and hot raspberry jam,
That expensive young lady of Corsica.
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There was a young lady of Firle,
Whose hair was addicted to curl ;
It curled up a tree, and all over the sea,
That expansive young lady of Firle.
There was an old person of Stroud,
Who was horribly jammed in a crowd ;
Some she slew with a kick, some she scrunched with a stick,
That impulsive old person of Stroud.
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n
There was an old man of Boulak,
Who sate on a Crocodile's back ;
But they said, " Towr'ds the night he may probably bite,
Which might vex you, old man of Boulak ! "
There was an old person of Skye,
Who waltz'd with a Bluebottle fly :
They buzz'd a sweet tune, to the light of the moon,
And entranced all the people of Skye.
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There was an old man of Blackheath,
Whose head was adorned with a wreath
Of lobsters and spice, pickled onions and mice,
That uncommon old man of Blackheath.
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n
There was an old man, who when little
Fell casually into a kettle ;
But, growing too stout, he could never get out,
So he passed all his life in that kettle.
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more nonsense pictures.
There was an old person of Dundalk,
Who tried to teach fishes to walk ;
When they tumbled down dead, he grew weary, and said,
« I had better go back to Dundalk ! "
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75
There was an old person of Shoreham,
Whose habits were marked by decorum ;
He bought an Umbrella, and sate in the cellar,
Which pleased all the people of Shoreham.
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There was an old person of Bar,
Who passed all her life in a jar,
Which she painted pea-green, to appear more serene,
That placid old person of Bar.
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77
There was a young person of Kew,
Whose virtues and vices were few ;
But with blamable haste she devoured some hot paste,
Which destroyed that young person of Kew.
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There was an old person of J odd,
Whose ways were perplexing and odd;
She purchased a whistle, and sate on a thistle.
And squeaked to the people of Jodd.
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79
There was an old person of Bude,
Whose deportment was vicious and crude ;
He wore a large ruff of pale straw-colored stuff,
Which perplexed all the people of Bude.
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There was an old person of Brigg,
Who purchased no end of a wig ;
So that only his nose, and the end of his toes,
Could be seen when he walked about Brigg.
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81
There was an old man of Messina,
Whose daughter was named Opsibeena ;
She wore a small wig, and rode out on a pig,
To the perfect delight of Messina.
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TWENTY-SIX NONSENSE RHYMES
AND PICTURES.
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The Absolutely Abstemious Ass,
who resided in a Barrel, and only lived on
Soda Water and Pickled Cucumbers.
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86
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The Bountiful Beetle,
who always carried a Green Umbrella when it did n't rain,
and left it at home when it did.
The Comfortable Confidential Cow,
who sate in her Red Morocco Arm Chair and
toasted her own Bread at the parlour Fire.
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&7
The Dolomphious Duck,
who caught Spotted Frogs for her dinner
with a Runcible Spoon.
The Enthusiastic Elephant,
who ferried himself across the water with the
Kitchen Poker and a New pair of Ear-rings
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88 MORE NONSENSE PICTURES.
The Fizzgiggious Fish,
who always walked about upon Stilts,
because he had no legs.
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8 9
The Good-natured Grey Gull,
who carried the Old Owl, and his Crimson Carpet-bag,
across the river, because he could not swim.
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The Hasty Higgeldipiggledy Hen,
who went to market in a Blue Bonnet and Shawl,
and bought a Fish for her Supper.
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91
The Inventive Indian,
who caught a Remarkable Rabbit in a
Stupendous Silver Spoon.
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MORE NONSENSE PICTURES.
The Judicious Jubilant Jay,
who did up her Back Hair every morning with a Wreath of Roses,
Three feathers, and a Gold Pin.
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93
The Kicking Kangaroo,
who wore a Pale Pink Muslin dress
with Blue spots.
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94
MORE NONSENSE PICTURES.
The Lively Learned Lobster,
who mended his own Clothes with
a Needle and Thread.
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The Melodious Meritorious Mouse,
who played a merry minuet on the
Piano-forte.
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96 MOKE NONSENSE PICTURES.
The Nutritious Newt,
who purchased a Round Plum-pudding
for his grand- daughter.
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97
The Obsequious Ornamental Ostrich,
who wore Boots to keep his
feet quite dry.
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MOttE NONSENSE PICTURES.
The Perpendicular Purple Polly,
who read the Newspaper and ate Parsnip Pie
with his Spectacles.
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99
The Queer Querulous Quail,
who smoked a Pipe of tobacco on the top of
a Tin Tea-kettle.
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The Rural Runcible Raven,
who wore a White Wig and flew away
with the Carpet Broom.
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101
The Scroobious Snake,
who always wore a Hat on his Head, for
fear he should bite anybody.
The Tumultuous Tom-tommy Tortoise,
who beat a Drum all day long in the
middle of the wilderness.
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The Umbrageous Umbrella-maker,
whose Face nobody ever saw, because it was
always covered by his Umbrella.
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103
The Visibly Vicious Vulture,
who wrote some Verses to a Veal-cutlet in a
Volume bound in Vellum.
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104
MORE NONSENSE PICTURES.
The Worrying Whizzing Wasp,
who stood on a Table, and played sweetly on a
Flute with a Morning Cap.
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105
The Excellent Double-extra XX
imbibing King Xerxes, who lived a
long while ago.
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£^
The Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo,
whose Head was ever so much bigger than his
Body, and whose Hat was rather small.
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107
The Zigzag Zealous Zebra,
who carried five Monkeys on his back all
the way to Jellibolee.
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LAUGHABLE LYRICS.
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LAUGHABLE LYRICS
A FOURTH BOOK OF NONSENSE POEMS,
SONGS, BOTANY, MUSIC, ETC.
BY
EDWARD LEAR,
Author of the 'Book of Nonsense] ' More Nonsense' ' Nonsense
Songs, Stories] etc., etc.
JUttfj all tfje ©riginal Ellmstrattotw.
BOSTON
LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY
1904
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CONTENTS.
LAUGHABLE LYRICS. Page
The Dong with a Luminous Nose 7
The Two Old Bachelors 12
The Pelican Chorus 15
The Yonghy-Bonghy-B6 21
The Pobble who has no Toes 27
The New Vestments 3°
Mr. and Mrs. Discobbolos 32
The Quangle Wangle's Hat 34
The Cummerbund 37
The Akond of Swat 39
NONSENSE BOTANY 45
" ALPHABET, No. 5 S7
« " No. 6 83
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LAUGHABLE LYRICS.
THE DONG WITH A LUMINOUS NOSE.
"\ 11 yTHEN awful darkness and silence reign
Over the great Gromboolian plain,
Through the long, long wintry nights ;
When the angry breakers roar
As they beat on the rocky shore ;
When Storm-clouds brood on the towering heights
Of the Hills of the Chankly Bore, —
Then, through the vast and gloomy dark
There moves what seems a fiery spark, —
A lonely spark with silvery rays
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LAUGHABLE LRYICS.
Piercing the coal-black night, —
A Meteor strange and bright :
Hither and thither the vision strays,
A single lurid light.
Slowly it wanders, pauses, creeps, —
Anon it sparkles, flashes, and leaps ;
And ever as onward it gleaming goes
A light on the Bong-tree stems it throws.
And those who watch at that midnight hour
From Hall or Terrace or lofty Tower,
Cry, as the wild light passes along, —
"The Dong! the Dong !
The wandering Dong through the forest goes !
The Dong ! the Dong !
The Dong with a luminous Nose 1 "
Long years ago
The Dong was happy and gay,
Till he fell in love with a Jumbly Girl
Who came to those shores one day.
For the Jumblies came in a sieve, they did, —
Landing at eve near the Zemmery Fidd
Where the Oblong Oysters grow,
And the rocks are smooth and gray.
And all the woods and the valleys rang
With the Chorus they daily and nightly sang, —
"Far and few, far and few,
Are the lands where the Jumblies live;
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue,
And they went to sea in a sieve"
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LAUGHABLE LYRICS.
Happily, happily passed those days !
While the cheerful J.umblies staid ;
They danced in circlets all night long,
To the plaintive pipe of the lively Dong,
In moonlight, shine, or shade.
For day and night he was always there
By the side of the Jumbly Girl so fair,
With her sky-blue hands and her sea-green hair ;
Till the morning came of that hateful day
When the Jumblies sailed in their sieve away,
And the Dong was left on the cruel shore
Gazing, gazing for evermore, —
Ever keeping his weary eyes on
That pea-green sail on the far horizon, —
Singing the Jumbly Chorus still
As he sate all day on the grassy hill, —
"Far a?idfew, far and few >
Are the lands where the Jumblies live ;
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue,
And they went to sea in a sieve."
But when the sun was low in the West,
The Dong arose and said, —
" What little sense I once possessed
Has quite gone out of my head ! "
And since that day he wanders still
By lake and forest, marsh and hill,
Singing, " O somewhere, in valley or plain,
Might I find my Jumbly Girl again !
For ever I '11 seek by lake and shore
Till I find my Jumbly Girl once more ! "
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10 LAUGHABLE LYRICS.
Playing a pipe with silvery squeaks,
Since then his Jumfcly Girl he seeks ;
And because by night he could not see,
He gathered the bark of the Twangum Tree
On the flowery plain that grows.
And he wove him a wondrous Nose, —
A Nose as strange as a Nose could be !
Of vast proportions and painted red,
And tied with cords to the back of his head.
In a hollow rounded space it ended
With a luminous Lamp within suspended,
All fenced about
With a bandage stout
To prevent the wind from blowing it out ;
And with holes all round to send the light
In gleaming rays on the dismal night.
And now each night, and all night long,
Over those plains still roams the Dong ;
And above the wail of the Chimp and Snipe
You may hear the squeak of his plaintive pipe,
While ever he seeks, but seeks in vain,
To meet with his Jumbly Girl again ;
Lonely and wild, all night he goes, —
The Dong with a luminous Nose !
And all who watch at the midnight hour,
From Hall or Terrace or lofty Tower,
Cry, as they trace the Meteor bright,
Moving along through the dreary night, —
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LAUGHABLE LYRICS. II
" This is the hour when forth he goes,
The Dong with a luminous Nose !
Yonder, over the plain he goes, —
He goes !
He goes, —
The Dong with a luminous Nose ! "
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THE TWO OLD BACHELORS.
n^WO old Bachelors were living in one house ;
One caught a Muffin, the other caught a Mouse.
Said he who caught the Muffin to him who caught the Mouse, —
" This happens just in time ! For we 've nothing in the house,
Save a tiny slice of lemon and a teaspoonful of honey,
And what to do for dinner — since we have n't any money?
And what can we expect if we have n't any dinner,
But to lose our teeth and eyelashes and keep on growing thinner? "
Said he who caught the Mouse to him who caught the Muffin, —
" We might cook this little Mouse, if we only had some Stuffin' !
If we had but Sage and Onion we could do extremely well ;
But how to get that Stuffin' it is difficult to tell ! "
Those two old Bachelors ran quickly to the town
And asked for Sage and Onion as they wandered up and down ;
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LAUGHABLE LYRICS. 1 3
They borrowed two large Onions, but no Sage was to be found
In the Shops, or in the Market, or in all the Gardens round.
But some one said, " A hill there is, a little to the north,
And to its purpledicular top a narrow way leads forth ;
And there among the rugged rocks abides an ancient Sage, —
An earnest Man, who reads all day a most perplexing page.
Climb up, and seize him by the toes, — all studious as he sits, —
And pull him down, and chop him into endless little bits !
Then mix him with your Onion (cut up likewise into Scraps), —
When your Stuffin' will be ready, and very good — perhaps."
Those two old Bachelors without loss of time
The nearly purpledicular crags at once began to climb ;
And at the top, among the rocks, all seated in a nook,
They saw that Sage a-reading of a most enormous book.
"You earnest Sage!" aloud they cried, "your book youVe read
enough in !
We wish to chop you into bits to mix you into Stuffin' ! "
But that old Sage looked calmly up, and with his awful book,
At those two Bachelors' bald heads a certain aim he took ;
And over Crag and precipice they rolled promiscuous down, —
At once they rolled, and never stopped in lane or field or town ;
And when they reached their house, they found (besides their want
of Stuffin'),
The Mouse had fled — and, previously, had eaten up the Muffin.
They left their home in silence by the once convivial door ;
And from that hour those Bachelors were never heard of more.
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THE PELICANS.
Canto.
King and Queen of the Peli -can* we, 2Co other bird* to grand we we I
None but wehare feet like fins with love - \j lea • the • ry throatt and ^Mne,
Ploff.tkiB, Floff. akin, Pe-U-caa Jee! we think no bird* so bappy ae we!
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THE PELICAN CHORUS.
l^ING and Queen of the Pelicans we ;
No other Birds so grand we see !
None but we have feet like fins !
With lovely leathery throats and chins !
Ploffskin, Pluffskin, Pelican jee !
We think no Birds so happy as we !
Plumpskin, Ploshkin, Pelican j 111 !
We think so then, and we thought so still !
We live on the Nile. The Nile we love.
By night we sleep on the cliffs above ;
By day we fish, and at eve we stand
On long bare islands of yellow sand.
And when the sun sinks slowly down,
And the great rock walls grow dark and brown,
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1 6 LAUGHABLE LYRICS.
Where the purple river oils fast and dim
And the Ivory Ibis starlike skim,
Wing to wing we dance around,
Stamping our feet with a flumpy sound,
Opening our mouths as Pelicans ought ;
And this is the song we nightly snort, —
Ploffskin, Pluffskin, Pelican jee !
We think no Birds so happy as we !
Plumpskin, Ploshkin, Pelican jill !
We think so then, and we thought so still !
Last year came out our Daughter Dell,
And all the Birds received her well.
To do her honor a feast we made
For every bird that can swim or wade, —
Herons and Gulls, and Cormorants black,
Cranes, and Flamingoes with scarlet back,
Plovers and Storks, and Geese in clouds,
Swans and Dilberry Ducks in crowds :
Thousands of Birds in wondrous flight !
They ate and drank and danced all night,
And echoing back from the rocks you heard
Multitude-echoes from Bird and Bird, —
Ploffskin, Pluffskin, Pelican jee !
We think no Birds so happy as we !
Plumpskin, Ploshkin, Pelican jill !
We think so then, and we thought so still I
Yes, they came ; and among the rest
The King of the Cranes all grandly dressed.
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LAUGHABLE LYRICS. 17
Such a lovely tail ! Its feathers float
Between the ends of his blue dress-coat/
With pea-green trowsers all so neat,
And a delicate frill to hide his feet
(For though no one speaks of it, every one knows
He has got no webs between his toes).
As soon as he saw our Daughter Dell,
In violent love that Crane King fell, —
On seeing her waddling form so fair,
With a wreath of shrimps in her short white hair.
And before the end of the next long day
Our Dell had given her heart away ;
For the King of the Cranes had won that heart
With a Crocodile's egg and a large fish-tart.
She vowed to marry the King of the Cranes,
Leaving the Nile for stranger plains ;
And away they flew in a gathering crowd
Of endless birds in a lengthening cloud.
Ploffskin, Pluffskin, Pelican jee !
We think no Birds so happy as we !
Plumpskin, Ploshkin, Pelican jill !
We think so then, and we thought so still !
And far away in the twilight sky
We heard them singing a lessening cry, —
Farther and farther, till out of sight,
And we stood alone in the silent night !
Often since, in the nights of June,
We sit on the sand and watch the moon, —
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1 8 LAUGHABLE LYRICS.
She has gone to the great Gromboolian Plain,
And we probably never shall meet again !
Oft, in the long still nights of June,
We sit on the rocks and watch the moon, —
She dwells by the streams of the Chankly Bore.
And we probably never shall see her more.
Ploffskin, Pluffskin, Pelican jee !
We think no Birds so happy as we !
Plumpskin, Ploshkin, Pelican jill !
We think so then, and we thought so still !
Note. — The Air of this and the following Song by Edward Lear; the
Arrangement for the Piano by Professor Pome, of San Remo, Italy.
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Canto.
Piano.
THE YONGHY BONGHY BO.
On the coast of Co • ro • man . del, Where the ear . ly pumpkins grow, In the
m& m^0m *&=^
middle of the woodsyLired the Yonghy Bonghy Bd, Two old chain and half a candle, One old
jug with-oui a han-dle, Theee were all his worldly go odB, In the middle of the woods, These were
•II the worldly gooda, Of the Yonghy Bonghy Bd, Of the Yonghy Bonghy Bd.
=5t
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THE COURTSHIP OF THE YONGHY-
BONGHY-Bd.
(~XN the Coast of Coromandel
^*^ Where the early pumpkins blow,
In the middle of the woods
Lived the Yonghy-Bonghy-B6.
Two old chairs, and half a candle,
One old jug without a handle, —
These were all his worldly goods :
In the middle of the woods,
These were all the worldly goods
Of the Yonghy-Bonghy-B6,
Of the Yonghy-Bonghy-B6.
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22 LAUGHABLE LYRICS.
II.
Once, among the Bong-trees walking
Where the early pumpkins blow,
To a little heap of stones
Came the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bd.
There he heard a Lady talking,
To some milk-white Hens of Dorking, —
" T is the Lady Jingly Jones !
On that little heap of stones
Sits the Lady Jingly Jones ! "
Said the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bd,
Said the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bd.
III.
44 Lady Jingly ! Lady Jingly !
Sitting where the pumpkins blow,
Will you come and be my wife ? "
Said the Yonghy-Bonghy-B6.
" I am tired of living singly, —
On this coast so wild and shingly, —
I 'm a- weary of my life ;
If you '11 come and be my wife,
Quite serene would be my life ! "
Said the Yonghy-Bonghy-B6,
Said the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bd.
IV.
" On this Coast of Coromandel
Shrimps and watercresses grow,
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LAUGHABLE LYRICS. 23
Prawns are plentiful and cheap,"
Said the Yonghy-Bonghy-B6.
" You shall have my chairs and candle,
And my jug without a handle !
Gaze upon the rolling deep
(Fish is plentiful and cheap) ;
As the sea, my love is deep ! "
Said the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bd,
Said the Yonghy-Bonghy-B6.
V.
Lady Jingly answered sadly,
And her tears began to flow, —
" Your proposal comes too late,
Mr. Yonghy-Bonghy-B6 !
I would be your wife most gladly ! "
(Here she twirled her fingers madly,)
" But in England I Ve a mate !
Yes ! you Ve asked me far too late,
For in England I Ve a mate,
Mr. Yonghy-Bonghy-B6 !
Mr. Yonghy-Bonghy-B6 !
VI.
" Mr. Jones (his name is Handel, —
Handel Jones, Esquire, & Co.)
Dorking fowls delights to send,
Mr. Yonghy-Bonghy-B6 !
Keep, oh, keep your chairs and candle,
And your jug without a handle, —
I can merely be your friend !
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24 LAUGHABLE LYRICS.
Should my Jones more Dorkings send,
I will give you three, my friend !
Mr. Yonghy-Bongy-B6 !
Mr. Yonghy-Bonghy-B6 !
VII.
" Though you Ve such a tiny body,
And your head so large doth grow, —
Though your hat may blow away,
Mr. Yonghy-Bonghy-B6 !
Though you 're such a Hoddy Doddy,
Yet I wish that I could modi-
fy the words I needs must say !
Will you please to go away ?
That is all I have to say,
Mr. Yongby-Bonghy-B6 !
Mr. Yonghy-Bonghy-B6 ! "
VIII.
Down the slippery slopes of Myrtle,
Where the early pumpkins blow,
To the calm and silent sea
Fled the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bd.
There, beyond the Bay of Gurtle,
Lay a large and lively Turtle.
"You 're the Cove," he said, " for me ;
On your back beyond the sea,
Turtle, you shall carry me!"
Said the Yonghy-Bonghy-B6,
Said the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bd.
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LAUGHABLE LYRICS.
2<
IX.
Through the silent-roaring ocean
Did the Turtle swiftly go ;
Holding fast upon his shell
Rode the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bd.
With a sad primaeval motion
Towards the sunset isles of Boshen
Still the Turtle bore him well.
Holding fast upon his shell,
" Lady Jingly Jones, farewell ! "
Sang the Yonghy-Bonghy-B6,
Sang the Yonghy-Bonghy-B5.
X.
From the Coast of Coromandel
Did that Lady never go ;
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26 LAUGHABLE LYRICS.
On that heap of stones she mourns
For the Yonghy-Bonghy-B6.
On that Coast of Coromandel,
In his jug without a handle
Still she weeps, and daily moans ;
On that little heap of stones
To her Dorking Hens she moans,
For the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bd,
For the Yonghy-Bonghy-B6.
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THE POBBLE WHO HAS NO TOES.
r "PHE Pobble who has no toes
Had once as many as we ;
When they said, " Some day you may lose them all ; "
He replied, " Fish fiddle de-dee ! "
And his Aunt Jobiska made him drink
Lavender water tinged with pink ;
For she said, " The World in general knows
There 's nothing so good for a Pobble's toes ! "
II.
The Pobble who has no toes,
Swam across the Bristol Channel ;
But before he set out he wrapped his nose
In a piece of scarlet flannel.
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23 LAUGHABLE LYRICS.
For his Aunt Jobiska said, " No harm
Can come to his toes if his nose is warm ;
And it 's perfectly known that a Pobble's toes
Are safe — provided he minds his nose."
III.
The Pobble swam fast and well,
And when boats or ships came near him,
He tinkledy-binkledy-winkled a bell
So that all the world could hear him.
And all the Sailors and Admirals cried,
When they saw him nearing the further side, — •.
" He has gone to fish, for his Aunt Jobiska's
Runcible Cat with crimson whiskers ! "
IV.
But before he touched the shore, —
The bhore of the Bristol Channel,
A sea-green Porpoise carried away
His wrapper of scarlet flannel.
And when he came to observe his feet,
Formerly garnished with toes so neat,
His face at once became forlorn
On perceiving that all his toes were gone !
V.
And nobody ever knew,
From that dark day to the present,
Whoso had taken the Pobble's toes,
In a manner so far from pleasant.
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LAUGHABLE LYRICS. 2Q
Whether the shrimps or crawfish gray,
Or crafty Mermaids stole them away,
Nobody knew ; and nobody knows
How the Pobble was robbed of his twice five toes !
VI.
The Pobble who has no toes
Was placed in a friendly Bark,
And they rowed him back, and carried him up
To his Aunt Jobiska's Park.
And she made him a feast, at his earnest wish,
Of eggs and buttercups fried with fish ;
And she said, " It 's a fact the whole world knows,
That Pobbles are happier without their toes."
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THE NEW VESTMENTS.
'T^HERE lived an old man in the Kingdom of Tess,
Who invented a purely original dress ;
And when it was perfectly made and complete,
He opened the door and walked into the street.
By way of a hat he 'd a loaf of Brown Bread,
In the middle of which he inserted his head ;
His Shirt was made up of no end of dead Mice,
The warmth of whose skins was quite fluffy and nice ;
His Drawers were of Rabbit-skins, so were his Shoes ;
His Stockings were skins, but it is not known whose ;
His Waistcoat and Trowsers were made of Pork Chops ;
His Buttons were Jujubes and Chocolate Drops ;
His Coat was all Pancakes, with Jam for a border,
And a girdle of Biscuits to keep it in order ;
And he wore over all, as a screen from bad weather,
A Cloak of green Cabbage-leaves stitched all together.
He had walked a short way, when he heard a great noise,
Of all sorts of Beasticles, Birdlings, and Boys ;
And from every long street and dark lane in the town
Beasts, Birdies, and Boys in a tumult rushed down.
Two Cows and a Calf ate his Cabbage-leaf Cloak ;
^our Apes seized his Girdle, which vanished like smoke ;
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LAUGHABLE LYRICS. 3 1
Three Kids ate up half of his Pancaky Coat,
And the tails were devour' d by an ancient He Goat ;
An army of Dogs in a twinkling tore up his
Pork Waistcoat and Trowsers to give to their Puppies ;
And while they were growling, and mumbling the Chops,
Ten Boys prigged the Jujubes and Chocolate Drops.
He tried to run back to his house, but in vain,
For scores of fat Pigs came again and again :
They rushed out of stables and hovels and doors ;
They tore off his stockings, his shoes, and his drawers ;
And now from the housetops with screechings descend
Striped, spotted, white, black, and gray Cats without end :
They jumped on his shoulders and knocked off his hat,
When Crows, Ducks, and Hens made a mincemeat of that ;
They speedily flew at his sleeves in a trice,
And utterly tore up his Shirt of dead Mice ;
They swallowed the last of his Shirt with a squall, —
Whereon he ran home with no clothes on at all.
And he said to himself, as he bolted the door,
" I will not wear a similar dress any more,
Vny more, any more, any more, never more ! "
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MR. AND MRS. DISCOBBOLOS.
TV/TR. AND MRS. DISCOBBOLOS
Climbed to the top of a wall.
And they sate to watch the sunset sky,
And to hear the Nupiter Piffkin cry,
And the Biscuit Buffalo call.
They took up a roll and some Camomile tea,
And both were as happy as happy could be,
Till Mrs. Discobbolos said, —
"Oh! W! X! Y! Z!
It has just come into my head,
Suppose we should happen to fall ! ! ! ! !
Darling Mr. Discobbolos !
II.
" Suppose we should fall down flumpetty,
Just like pieces of stone,
On to the thorns, or into the moat,
What would become of your new green coat ?
And might you not break a bone ?
It never occurred to me before,
That perhaps we shall never go down any more ! "
And Mrs. Discobbolos said,
" Oh ! W ! X ! Y ! Z !
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LAUGHABLE LYRICS. 33
What put it into your head
To climb up this wall, my own
Darling Mr. Discobbolos ? ,;
III.
Mr. Discobbolos answered,
" At first it gave me pain,
And I felt ray ears turn perfectly pink
When your exclamation made me think
We might never get down again !
But now I believe it is wiser far
To remain for ever just where we are."
And Mr. Discobbolos said,
" Oh I W ! X ! Y ! Z !
It has just come into my head
We shall never go down again,
Dearest Mrs. Discobbolos ! "
IV.
So Mr. and Mrs. Discobbolos
Stood up and began to sing, —
" Far away from hurry and strife
Here we will pass the rest of life,
Ding a dong, ding dong, ding !
We want no knives nor forks nor chairs,
No tables nor carpets nor household cares ;
From worry of life we Ve fled ;
Oh ! W ! X ! Y ! Z !
There is no more trouble ahead,
Sorrow or any such thing,
For Mr. and Mrs. Discobbolos ! "
3
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THE QUANGLE WANGLE'S HAT.
/~\N the top of the Crumpetty Tree
The Quangle Wangle sat,
But his face you could not see,
On account of his Beaver Hat.
For his Hat was a hundred and two feet wide,
With ribbons and bibbons on every side,
And bells, and buttons, and loops, and lace,
So that nobody ever could see the face
Of the Quangle Wangle Quee.
II.
The Quangle Wangle said
To himself on the Crumpetty Tree,
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LAUGHABLE LYRICS. 35
" Jam, and jelly, and bread
Are the best of food for me !
But the longer I live on this Crumpetty Tree
The plainer than ever it seems to me
That very few people come this way
And that life on the whole is far from gay ! "
Said the Quangle Wangle Quee.
III.
But there came to the Crumpetty Tree
Mr. and Mrs. Canary ;
And they said, " Did ever you see
Any spot so charmingly airy ?
May we build a nest on your lovely Hat ?
Mr. Quangle Wangle, grant us that !
O please let us come and build a nest
Of whatever material suits you best,
Mr. Quangle Wangle Quee 1 "
IV.
And besides, to the Crumpetty Tree
Came the Stork, the Duck, and the Owl ;
The Snail and the Bumble-Bee,
The Frog and the Fimble Fowl
(The Fimble Fowl, with a Corkscrew leg) ;
And all of them said, " We humbly beg
We may build our homes on your lovely Hat, —
Mr. Quangle Wangle, grant us that !
Mr. Quangle Wangle Quee 1 "
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36 LAUGHABLE LYRICS.
And the Golden Grouse came there,
And the Pobble who has no toes,
And the small Olympian bear,
And the Dong with a luminous nose.
And the Blue Baboon who played the flute,
And the Orient Calf from the Land of Tute,
And the Attery Squash, and the Bisky Bat, —
All came and built on the lovely Hat
Of the Quangle Wangle Quee.
VI.
And the Quangle Wangle said
To himself on the Crumpetty Tree,
" When all these creatures move
What a wonderful noise there '11 be ! "
And at night by the light of the Mulberry moon
They danced to the Flute of the Blue Baboon,
On the broad green leaves of the Crumpetty Tree,
And all were as happy as happy could be,
With the Quangle Wangle Quee.
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THE CUMMERBUND.
AN INDIAN POEM.
I.
QHE sate upon her Dobie,
To watch the Evening Star,
And all the Punkahs, as they passed,
Cried, " My ! how fair you are ! "
Around her bower, with quivering leaves,
The tall Kamsamahs grew,
And Kitmutgars in wild festoons
Hung down from Tchokis blue.
II.
Below her home the river rolled
With soft meloobious sound,
Where golden-finned Chuprassies swam,
In myriads circling round.
Above, on tallest trees remote
Green Ayahs perched alone,
And all night long the Mussak moan'd
Its melancholy tone.
III.
And where the purple Nullahs threw
Their branches far and wide,
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38 LAUGHABLE LYRICS
And silvery Goreewallahs flew
In silence, side by side,
The little Bheesties 1 twittering cry
Rose on the flagrant air,
And oft the angry Jampan howled
Deep in his hateful lair.
IV.
She sate upon her Dobie,
She heard the Nimmak hum,
When all at once a cry arose,
"The Cummerbund is come ! "
In vain she fled : with open jaws
The angry monster followed,
And so (before assistance came)
That Lady Fair was swollowed.
V.
They sought in vain for even a bone
Respectfully to bury ;
They said, " Hers was a dreadful fate ! "
(And Echo answered, " Very.")
They nailed her Dobie to the wall,
Where last her form was seen,
And underneath they wrote these words,
In yellow, blue, and green :
" Beware, ye Fair ! Ye Fair, beware !
Nor sit out late at night,
Lest horrid Cummerbunds should come,
And swollow you outright."
Note. — First published in Times of India y Bombay, July, 1874.
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THE AKOND OF SWAT.
A1THO, or why, or which, or what, Is the Akond of Swat ?
Is he tall or short, or dark or fair?
Does he sit on a stool or a sofa or chair, or squat ?
The Akond of Swat?
Is he wise or foolish, young or old ?
Does he drink his soup and his coffee cold, or hot,
The Akond of Swat?
Does he sing or whistle, jabber or talk,
And when riding abroad does he gallop or walk, or trot,
The Akond of Swat ?
Does he wear a turban, a fez, or a hat ?
Does he sleep on a mattress, a bed, or a mat, or a cot,
The Akond of Swat?
When he writes a copy in round-hand size,
Does he cross his T's and finish his I's
Can he write a letter concisely clear
Without a speck or a smudge or smear
Do his people like him extremely well?
Or do they, whenever they can, rebel,
with a dot,
The Akond of Swat ?
or blot,
The Akond of Swat?
or plot,
At the Akond of Swat ?
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40 LAUGHABLE LYRICS.
If he catches them then, either old or young,
Does he have them chopped in pieces or hung, or shot,
The Akond of Swat?
Do his people prig in the lanes or park ?
Or even at times, when days are dark, garotte ?
O the Akond of Swat !
Does he study the wants of his own dominion ?
Or does n't he care for public opinion a jot,
The Akond of Swat?
To amuse his mind do his people show him
Pictures, or any one's last new poem, or what,
For the Akond of Swat ?
At night if he suddenly screams and wakes,
Do they bring him only a few small cakes, or a lot,
For the Akond of Swat ?
Does he live on turnips, tea, or tripe ?
Does he like his shawl to be marked with a stripe, or a dot,
The Akond of Swat?
Does he like to lie on his back in a boat
Like the lady who lived in that isle remote, Shallott,
The Akond of Swat?
Is he quiet, or always making a fuss ?
Is his steward a Swiss or a Swede or a Russ, or a Scot,
The Akond of Swat?
Does he like to sit by the calm blue wave ?
Or to sleep and snore in a dark green cave, or a grott,
The Akond of Swat?
Does he drink small beer from a silver jug?
Or a bowl? or a glass? or a cup? or a mug? or a pot,
The Akond of Swat?
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LAUGHABLE LYRICS. 41
Does he beat his wife with a gold-topped pipe,
When she lets the gooseberries grow too ripe, or rot,
The Akond of Swat?
Does he wear a white tie when he dines with friends,
And tie it neat in a bow with ends, or a knot,
The Akond of Swat?
Does he like new cream, and hate mince-pies ?
When he looks at the sun does he wink his eyes, or not,
The Akond of Swat?
Does he teach his subjects to roast and bake ?
Does he sail about on an inland lake, in a yacht,
The Akond of Swat?
Some one, or nobody, knows I wot
Who or which or why or what
Is the Akond of Swat !
Note. — For the existence of this potentate see Indian newspapers, passim.
The proper way to read the verses is to make an immense emphasis on the
monosyllabic rhymes, which indeed ought to be shouted out by a chorus.
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NONSENSE BOTANY.
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Armchairia Comfortabilis,
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Bassia Palealensis.
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Bubblia Blowpipia.
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Bluebottlia Buzztilentia.
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Crabbia Horrida.
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Smalltoothcombia Domestica.
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Knutmigrata Simplice.
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Tureenia Ladlecum
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Puffia Leatherbellowsa.
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Queeriflora Babyoides.
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NONSENSE ALPHABETS.
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A
dLJL was an Area Arch
Where washerwomen sat ;
They made a lot of lovely starch
To starch Papa's Cravat.
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B
Jj was a Bottle blue,
Which was not very small ;
Papa he filled it full of beer,
And then he drank it all.
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c
was Papa's gray Cat,
Who caught a squeaky Mouse ;
She pulled him by his twirly tail
All about the house.
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D
Jj was Papa's white Duck,
Who had a curly tail ;
One day it ate a great fat frog,
Besides a leetle snail.
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E
E
was a little Egg,
Upon the breakfast table ;
Papa came in and ate it up
As fast as he was able.
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¥
JB was a little Fish.
Cook in the river took it
Papa said, " Cook ! Cook ! bring a dish !
And, Cook ! be quick and cook it ! "
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G
G
was Papa's new Gun ;
He put it in a box ;
And then he went and bought a bun,
And walked about the Docks.
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H
H
was Papa's new Hat ;
He wore it on his head ;
Outside it was completely black,
But inside it was red.
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JL was an Inkstand new,
Papa he likes to use it ;
He keeps it in his pocket now,
For fear that he should lose it
5
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*3 was some Apple Jam,
Of which Papa ate part ;
But all the rest he took away
And stuffed into a tart
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K
E
was a great new Kite ;
Papa he saw it fly
Above a thousand chimney pots,
And all about the sky.
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Jji was a fine new Lamp ;
But when the wick was lit,
Papa he said, " This Light ain't good !
I cannot read a bit ! "
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M
M
was a dish of mince ;
It looked so good to eat !
Papa, he quickly ate it up,
And said, " This is a treat ! "
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N
N
was a Nut that grew
High up upon a tree ;
Papa, who could not reach it, said,
" That 's much too high for me ! "
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o
\J was an Owl who flew
All in the dark away,
Papa said, " What an owl you are !
Why don't you fly by day ? "
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JL was a little Pig,
Went out to take a walk ;
Papa he said, "If Piggy dead,
He'd all turn into Pork!"
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Q
\qj was a Quince that hung
Upon a garden tree ;
Papa he brought it with him home,
And ate it with his tea.
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R
R
was a Railway Rug
Extremely large and warm ;
Papa he wrapped it round his head,
In a most dreadful storm.
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s
s
was Papa's new Stick,
Papa's new thumping Stick,
To thump extremely wicked boys,
Because it was so thick.
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T
JL was a tumbler full
Of Punch all hot and good ;
Papa he drank it up, when in
The middle of a wood.
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u
u
was a silver urn,
Full of hot scalding water ;
Papa said, " If that Urn were mine,
I *d give it to my daughter ! "
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V
Y was a Villain ; once
He stole a piece of beef.
Papa he said, " Oh, dreadful man !
That Villain is a Thief!"
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w
w
was a Watch of Gold :
It told the time of day,
So that Papa knew when to come,
And when to go away.
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X
2&L was King Xerxes, whom
Papa much wished to know ;
But this he could not do, because
Xerxes died long ago.
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Y
X was a Youth, who kicked
And screamed and cried like mad ;
Papa he said, " Your conduct is
Abominably bad ! "
6
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£l was a Zebra striped
And streaked with lines of black ;
Papa said once, he thought he *d like
A ride upon his back.
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ALPHABET, No. 6.
$\n tumbled down, and hurt his Arm, against a bit of wood.
jP said, " My Boy, oh, do not cry ; it cannot do you good 1 "
flk said, " A Cup of Coffee hot can't do you any harm."
W) said, " A Doctor should be fetched, and he would cure the arm."
$L said, " An Egg beat up with milk would quickly make him well."
W> said, " A Fish, if broiled, might cure, if only by the smell."
l& said, " Green Gooseberry fool, the best of cures I hold."
Wl said, " His Hat should be kept on, to keep him from the cold/'
J| said, " Some Ice upon his head will make him better soon."
U said, " Some Jam, if spread on bread, or given in a spoon ! "
3\ said, " A Kangaroo is here, — this picture let him see."
yL said, " A Lamp pray keep alight, to make some barley tea."
Wl said, " A Mulberry or two might give him satisfaction."
j^T said, " Some Nuts, if rolled about, might be a slight attraction."
M said, "An Owl might make him laugh, if only it would wink."
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84 GHABLE LYRICS.
^ said, " Some Poetry might be read aloud, to make him think."
J| said, " A Quince I recommend, — a Quince, or else a Quail."
Jgi said, " Some Rats might make him move, if fastened by their
tail."
said, " A Song should now be sung, in hopes to make him
laugh ! "
said, " A Turnip might avail, if sliced or cut in half ! " >
qj said, " An Urn, with water hot, place underneath his chin ! "
W said, " I '11 stand upon a chair, and play a Violin ! "
said, "Some Whisky- Whizzgigs fetch, some marbles and a
ball!"
said, " Some double XX ale would be the best of all ! "
said, " Some Yeast mixed up with salt would make a perfect
plaster ! "
said, " Here is a box of Zinc ! Get in, my little master !
We '11 shut you up ! We '11 nail you down ! We will,
my little master !
We think we Ve all heard quite enough of this your sad
disaster ! "
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Louisa M. Alcott's Writings
THE LITTLE WOMEN SERIES.
Eight Cousins; or, The Aunt-
Hill.
Rose in Bloom. A Sequel to
"Eight Cousins."
Under the Lilacs.
Jack and Jill. A Village Story.
Little Women ; or Meg, Jo, Beth,
and A«y.
Little Men. Life at Plumfield
with Jo's Boys.
Jo's Boys, and How They Turned
Out. A Sequel to " Little Men."
An Old-Fashioned Girl.
Illustrated. i6mo. Each, $1.50.
The above eight volumes, uniformly bound in cloth, gilt, in box, $12.00.
NEW ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF LITTLE WOMEN
SERIES. Crown 8vo. Each, $2.00.
Little Men. With 15 full-page illustrations by Reginald B. Birch.
Little Women. With 15 full-page illustrations by Alice Barber
Stephens.
An Old-Fashioned Girl. With 12 full-page pictures by Jessie Willcox
Smith.
Jo's Boys, and How They Turned Out. With 10 full-page plates by
Ellen Wetherald Ahrens.
The four volumes put up in a box, $8.00.
THE SPINNING-WHEEL SERIES.
Spinning- Wheel Stories. I Proverb Stories.
Silver Pitchers. f A Garland for Girls.
4 vols. i6mo. Each, $1.25. In box, $5.00.
AUNT JO'S SCRAP-BAG.
My Boys. My Girls.
Shawl-Straps. Jimmy's Cruise in the Pinafore.
Cupid and Chow-Chow. An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiv-
I *ng»
6 vols. i6mo. Illustrated. Each, $1.00. In box, $6.00.
LULU'S LIBRARY.
Three volumes. Each, $1.00. The set uniformly bound in cloth, gilt,
in box, $3.00.
NOVELS, ETC. Uniform with "Little Women Series:*
Hospital Sketches. I Moods.
Work. I A Modern Mephistopheles.
Comic Tragedies. | Life of Louisa May Alcott.
6 vols. i6mo. Each, $1.50.
LITTLE, BROWN, & COMPANY
ruUisbcrs, Z54 WASHINGTON STREET. BOSTON, MASS
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MBS. EIOHAEDS'S STOEY.
"The man taught him to beat the drum."
THE JOYOUS STORY OP TOTO
By Laura E. Richards.
With Illustrations by E. H. Garrett. 1 6mo. Price,
$1.00.
UTTLE, BROWN. AND COMPANY,
Boston
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Uniform with "The Joyous Story of Toto.'
KOTO'S MERRY WINTER
By LAURA E. RICHARDS.
With Illustrations. i6mo. Price, $1.00.
LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY, Boston,
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OLD ROUGH THE MISER.
By Lily F. Wesselhceft, author of " Sparrow the Tramp/
K Flipwing the Spy," " The Winds, the Woods, and the Wand
erer." With twenty-one illustrations by J. F. Goodridge. Square
i6mo, cloth, $1.25.
OLD ROUGH THE MISER.
Mrs. Wewelhceft's " Fable Stories " are proving themselves more and
more acceptable to the children. " Old Rough " is a decided acquisition
to the series
Sold by all Booksellers. Mailed, post-paid, by the pub
Hikers
LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY,
Boston
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MRS. MOULTON'S
BED-TIME STORIES
Her pretty book of " Bed-Time Stories " is spotless as an open calla;
and so rich in beautiful lessons attractively conveyed that every mother
tfiould present her children with it as a text-book on children's manner.*;
towards parents, servants, and companions. — Chicago Times.
BED-TIME STORIES.
MORE BED-TIME STORIES.
FIRELIGHT STORIES.
STORIES TOLD AT TWILIGHT.
NEW BED-TIME STORIES.
\6mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Each,$i.2$. Five volum$s K
uniform, in box, $6.25
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EDWARD EVERETT HALE'S STORIES
One of the great merits of the series is that it in every way encour-
ages and suggests methods of original investigation and study. — Chris-
tian Union.
STORIES OF WAR.
A capital idea it was of Mr. Hale's to prepare a book for the boys
in which the stories of the battles of the great Civil War should be told
by the soldiers themselves without the intervention of anybody else. —
Book Buyer.
STORIES OF THE SEA.
In this volume the sailors are such voyagers as Columbus, Grenville,
and Nelson, and the stories they tell are of the most momentous struggles
and discoveries in history. One gets history at the fountain-head in these
reports of eye-witnesses and actors. Mr. Hale recognizes the instinct
which sends the boy in search of books of adventure as thoroughly healthy,
and turns it to good account by giving it wise direction. — Christian
Union.
STORIES OF ADVENTURE.
Though the book is intended for the young, it will repay perusal by
all, and, accordingly, we heartily commend it to our readers, young and
old. — Washington Post.
STORIES OF DISCOVERY.
The stories in this volume are of Columbus, Da Gama, Magalhaens,
Sir Francis Drake, the discoverers of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, the
explorers in pursuit of the Northwest Passage, of the source and mouth of
the Nile and Niger, and of the elusive Antarctic continent. There is also
a chapter on this country west of the Mississippi.
STORIES OF INVENTION.
An account of the incidents in the lives of noted persons who have
blessed the world, at great personal sacrifices, with the results of their
inventions. The stories are told in the delightful manner of this inimit-
able author. Thev are more interesting than fictions, and yet are sub-
itantially true. — Zion's Herald.
\6mo. Cloth. Each, $1.00. Five volumes, uniform,
in box, $5.00
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EDWARD EVERETT HALE'S WORKS
THE MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY, and Othei
Tales. i6mo. #1.25.
Holiday Edition, with illustrations by F. T. Merrill.
4to. Gilt. 75 cents.
New edition, with Preface written in the Year of the
War with Spain. i6mo. Cloth. 50 cents.
The Story of the Man without a Country will be remembered and
read as long as the American flag flies, and it will continue to do good to
successive generations of young Americans. . . . What a splendid work of
imagination and patriotism that story is ! Its theme is vital, and conse-
quently its influence is perennial. — New York Sun {Editorial).
IN HIS NAME. A Story of the Waldenses, Seven
Hundred Years Ago. Square i8mo. $1.00.
TEN TIMES ONE IS TEN : The Possible Reforma-
tion. i6mo. $1.00.
MRS. MERRIAM'S SCHOLARS. A Story of the
Original Ten. i6mo. $1.00.
FOUR AND FIVE. A Story. i6mo. $1.00.
HOW TO DO IT. i6mo. #1.00.
WHAT CAREER? or, The Choice of a Vocation and
the Use of Time. 16 mo. $1.25.
CHRISTMAS EVE AND CHRISTMAS DAY. Ten
Stories. i6mo. $1.25.
THE NEW HARRY AND LUCY. A Story of Bos-
ton in the summer of 189 1. By Edward E. Hale
and Lucretia P. Hale. With Illustrations by Her-
bert D.Hale. i6mo. #1.25.
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NEW EDITION
MAX AND MAURICE
BY WILHELM BUSCH
A Juvenile History in Seven Tricks. Translated by
Charles T. Brooks. With 50 humorous illustrations.
In colored ink on colored paper, with new cover design.
8vo. Cloth, extra, 75 cents
NEW EDITION
PLISH AND PLUM
BY WILHELM BUSCH
Translated by Charles T. Brooks. With 100 humor-
ous illustrations. Printed in colored ink on colored paper,
with new cover design.
8vo. Cloth, extra. 75 cents*
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OLD-FASHIONED
FAIRY TALES
BY
MADAME D'AULNOY, CHARLES PERRAULT, Etc.
With more than 200 Illustrations. i6mo.
Cloth j extra. $1.00
CONTENTS: Princess Minikin; Prince Elfin; Prince Sin-
cere; Blanch and Vermilion; Prince Desire and Prin-
cess MlGNONETTA; TOADS AND DIAMONDS; THE BENEFICENT
Frog; Graciosa and Percinet; The Princess Maia; The
White Cat; Babiola; Puss-in-Boots; Prince Cherry.
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OLD FRENCH FAIRY
TALES
BY C. PERRAULT, MADAME D'AULNOY, Etc.
JMBP- \
With more than 200 Illustrations. \6mo.
Cloth, extra. $1.00
CONTENTS: The Blue Bird; Little Red Ridino-Hood ;
Septimus; Blue Beard; The Yellow Dwarf; Islands op
Pleasure; Cinderella; Hind in the Forest; The Good
Little Mouse; Fair One with Golden Hair; Princess
Rosetta; Sleeping Beauty; Hop-o'-my-Thumb.
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Entertaining Books
FOR BOYS AND GIRLS
THE KNIGHTING OF THE TWINS, AND TEN
OTHER TALES. By Clyde Fitch. Illustrated by
Virginia Gerson. Small 4to. Cloth, $1.25.
MICE AT PLAY. A Story for the Whole Family. By
Neil Forest. Illustrated by Sol Eytinge. i6mo.
Cloth. $1.25.
Bright and entertaining from beginning to end, pure in moral, healthy
in tone, and full of genuine, genial humor, it will be strange indeed if this
book does not become a general favorite. — Inquirer.
THE KINGDOM OF COINS. A Tale for Children
of All Ages. By John Bradley Gilman. Illustrated.
Small 4to. Boards. 60 cents.
The coins of all denominations are seen by Tommy, in his dream-
travels under the guidance of Mr. Midas, to be alive and act according to
the wisdom of proverbs. The story is so well told that children will relish
it as something decidedly novel. — Literary World.
THE LAST OF THE PETERKINS. With Others of
their Kin. By Lucretia P. Hale. Illustrated. i6mo.
Cloth. $1.25.
VERY YOUNG AMERICANS. By Laura W. Led-
yard. Illustrated. i6mo. Cloth. $1.00.
JOCK O' DREAMS. By Julie M. Lippmann. Illus-
trated. i2mo. Cloth. $1.25-
MISS BELLADONNA, A CHILD OF TO-DAY. By
Caroline Ticknor. Illustrated by L. J. Bndgman.
i6mo. Cloth, gilt. $1.5°-
THE PIGEON PIE. A Tale of Roundhead Times.
By Charlotte M. Yonge. Illustrated. i6mo. Cloth.
$1.00.
TALES FROM SCOTT. By Sir Edward Sullivan.
With an introduction by Edward Dowden. Illustrated.
i 2 mo. Cloth. $1.50.
CANTERBURY CHIMES; or Chaucer Tales retold
for Children. By Francis Storr and Hawes Tur-
ner. Illustrated. i6mo. Cloth. $1.00.
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